The Shattered Calm
by Sephirothxx
Summary: Seymour and Yu Yevon return a year after the defeat of Vegnagun to exact revenge on the former summoner and her friends. And when they take over a being that can shape shift and make him into Sin, will Yuna and her friends be able to save Spira? Couples:Y
1. The Sphere

The Shattered Calm

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the FF X-2 world or characters.

Author's Note: People's thoughts are in ''. This is my first fan fiction on here so I hope u like it. Please Read and Review here is chapter one.

Chapter One: The Sphere

Pale moonlight shone upon rippling clear water reflecting its vibrant light. A reflection of a figure engulfed in shadow sat upon the edge of the crystal clear water. The faint form did not move from its relaxed position near the sparkling water. A large sword etched in gloom rested next to the sitting form. A soft and silky voice called to the shady form. The figure did not react to the calming voice. The voice called again and again through the gloom till it was a desperate shouting. The figure began to fade. Pyreflies twinkled in the pale moonlight as the ascended to the clear sky.

The pyreflies disappeared out of all sight as a hyper voice chimed in. "Yunie, are you okay? Wake up." A shaking started.

Out of the gloomy sight came a familiar face. It was Rikku. She was shaking Yuna out of her nightmare. Her face lit up when she saw Yuna's blue and green eyes gradually open. Yuna sat up in her comfortable bed aboard the Celsius. She raised a cold hand to her mouth and let out a slight yawn.

Rikku's green eyes met Yuna's. "Yunie are you alright?" Rikku was concerned.

There was a moment's pause then Yuna spoke. "Its nothing. Nothing more than a dream." Yuna looked down at her woolen sheets. She let out a sigh.

Footsteps echoed down the empty corridor from the elevator. Paine appeared in the silent doorway. She looked up to Yuna and Rikku up on the second floor. "You were dreaming of him again weren't you Yuna?" Paine looked into Yuna's sleep glazed eyes.

Yuna didn't respond. She kept gazing at her soft sheets. Rikku comforted Yuna as best she knew how. Paine strode across the chamber towards the stairs. She scaled the iron stairs with soft footfalls. She came to stand next to Yuna and Rikku and sat down beside them.

Loud clanging noises came from the direction of the elevator. Heavy and hurried footfalls thundered down the corridor. A figure appeared in the doorway leaning against it out of breath. It was Brother.

"Where…is…Yuna…?" He said panting.

Yuna shifted her glance down at Brother. "I'm here." She called to him.

Brother looked up and his face lit up. "Are you…alright?" He asked, still out of breath.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"I heard Rikku yelling your name." Brother said regaining his breath. "Are you sure your okay my Yuna?"

"Yes"

Rikku stared at brother and yelled something in Al Bhed at him. Brother yelled something back and came rushing up the iron stairs.

Another clamoring came from the elevator. Buddy came running down the corridor into the room just as Brother was ascending the iron stairs. "Hey, calm down!"

Brother stopped mid stairs. He slunk back down the noisy stairs and through the chamber towards the elevator. He seemed pretty upset. Buddy followed him back up to the bridge.

There was silence. Then Paine spoke. "Well, you should get some more rest Yuna, that is if you can." She walked off down the stairs and to the elevator.

Rikku looked at Yuna and sighed. "Night Yunie." She ran off.

Yuna lay down upon her warm and comfortable sheets. She did not sleep the rest of the night. She stayed awake thinking about things, anything that popped into her mind. She spent a considerable amount of time thinking about three years ago when she was with Tidus. She recalled sitting with him at the fire in Zanarkand that night and all the fun times she had with him. Morning finally came and she rose out of her comfy bed. She strode up to her cabinet and pulled out her clothes. She got dressed in her gunner outfit and discarded her pajamas in a hamper.

A crackling came over the intercom. "Gullwings to the bridge!" Brother shouted over the intercom.

Yuna rushed to the elevator and rode it to the bridge. She stepped out and ran down the empty corridor to the bride. She leapt over the railing and onto the center of the bridge. Rikku and Paine joined her. Brother sat in his pilot seat. Buddy announced there were sphere waves coming from the calm lands in Remiem Temple.

Shinra turned around in his large seat. "There is a high concentration of fiends in those ruins." He spun back around and went back to working on his keyboard.

Buddy turned to Yuna. "Want to go?"

Yuna looked at Rikku and Paine, they both shook their heads yes. 'Alright, Gullwings wove out!" Yuna cried.

"Roger." Buddy said typing in the coordinates.

The Celsius flew through the clear blue sky of the early morning. They flew for only a few moments till they reached the entrance to the calm land ruins.

Yuna, Rikku and Paine exited the Celsius. They strolled over to the entrance it was well worn and had great green ivy grew upon it. The letters and shapes on it could hardly be seen from hundreds of years of decay. There was a rather large crack in the corner of the entrance that none of the noticed. They walked into the ruins and found there was no light.

"Awwwww, now what do we do? I can't see." Rikku complained as they walked into the darkness.

Yuna looked around franticly for some sort of illumination. Off in the distance she spotted a small splotch of illumination and began to go towards it. "I see something. Come on."

Rikku and Paine hastily followed Yuna as they descended into the cavernous ruins. The light grew more and more vibrant as they rushed towards it. In the direction of the light came a fiendish deep roar that echoed throughout the entire premises of the ruins. Rikku jumped at the sound and hid behind Yuna. Yuna stiffened up from the evil sound but Paine continued on normally.

The three companions stopped. "I don't think that is just a light." Rikku said as she cowered behind Yuna.

Another thunderous bellow rang through the ruins. "We don't know how to get out of here so we have no choice but to proceed." Yuna announced.

The vibrant light began to move towards the three companions with booming footfalls. As the light came closer and closer they noticed the outline of the fiend. It was a large lizard like fiend with a though hide and spikes upon its back. The illumination was flames gushing out of the fiend's fanged mouth.

"Yuna, we have to kill it." Paine stated. She took her blade and assailed the fiend. Her blade glanced against the fiend's rock hard hide.

Yuna whipped out her guns and fired at the fiends head. The bullets glanced off the fiend and refracted off the wall hitting the dirt in front of Rikku. "Nothings working."

The fiend let out a burst of flames at the three companions searing the air. Paine stepped forward and brought her sword down on the flames and reflected them away from the three of them. The fiend let out a terrible bellow. Rikku covered her ears as the deep bellow rung through the ruins.

Rikku drew out her two orange-red daggers and went for the fiend's stomach. Her blades were deflected off its rough hide and they stuck into the dusty ground. Rikku yanked her daggers out of the old ground and went for the fiend's head. The fiend bit at one of her daggers and grappled it with its fang like teeth. It wrenched it out of Rikku's hands and flung it down the bitch black corridor.

Rikku leapt back. "No fare!"

Rikku took her remaining dagger and tried to stick the fiend in the eye. The fiend moved its large head and dodged her attack at the last second. It spewed orange flames at her as she flipped away from the fiend. She dodged the flames and shouted for Yuna's aid.

Yuna took up her guns and fired consecutive shots into the fiend's head. Its tough hide deflected all the blazing bullets. She slid one of her guns back into its holster and aimed her remaining one with her steady hands. She aimed for one of its eyes and fired. The shot rang off the moss-covered wall and echoed on. The fiend lost one of its eyes and went into a howling fit.

"I'll take it from her Yuna." Paine rushed up to the distressed fiend and shoved her blade into its flaming mouth and down its throat. Purple colored blood gushed up out of the fiend's mouth splattering on the ground and walls.

The fiend lay limp on the chilly moss-covered floor as pyreflies began to rise from it. Paine pulled out a cloth rag and wiped the purple blood off her blade. She threw the bloody rag onto the mossy floor as she turned to Yuna and Rikku. "Well, what now?"

Rikku looked about for something. "How are we supposed to do anything if we can't see?" She stumbled, trying to walk.

Yuna's green and blue eyes gazed down a shady corridor. A faint pallid light shone upon something. She began to stroll towards the enchanting light down the mysterious passageway. She walked as if hypnotized by some heavenly force. She began to disappear from Rikku's and Paine's sight as she strode forwards to the light.

Rikku ran after Yuna's disappearing figure, "Yunie! Wait up!" Her shoes clamored down the empty passageway.

Paine started up following the other two, "These two are hopeless." She ran after the hollering Rikku.

Yuna reached the orb of pallid gleaming light. She stood in front of the hypnotizing orb staring into space. Rikku encountered a few fiends as she rushed down the hall towards Yuna, where Yuna had walked right past them. She flicked her daggers into the fiends' flesh and cut them down running. Paine ran into the same problem but they were all pushovers. Rikku and Paine finally reached the dazed Yuna.

The orb was a video sphere, but it was blank with nothing on it. It just shone there on its quartz pedestal attracting Yuna with its pallid radiance. Rikku and Paine stood behind Yuna for some time without doing anything. Then Rikku grasped Yuna's cold shoulder and gave her a minute tug. Yuna did not react to Rikku's tug, only stood there gazing upon the vacant orb.

Rikku looked at Paine. "What are we gonna do Paine?" Rikku looked back upon Yuna.

"I don't know."

Rikku grasped both of Yuna's chill shoulders and heaved upon them desperately trying to wake her from her reverie. Yuna's body just shook with Rikku's movements but she did not acknowledge Rikku. "Yunie wake up!" She continued to shake Yuna violently. "Come on Yunie!"

Rikku finally gave up on waking Yuna from her trance and stood behind her, head lowered. Moments later Yuna regained her senses. She turned around on her heels and gazed at Rikku and Paine. Her green and blue eyes were moist with tears. Rikku gaped as she saw Yuna's face streaked with tears.

"What's the matter Yunie?" Rikku queried, her big green eyes looking into Yuna's.

Yuna wiped the tears from her face, "Nothing is wrong."

Paine looked at Rikku and Yuna. "Then why are you crying?"

"These are not tears of sadness but joy." She smiled a bright smile.

Rikku and Paine glanced at each other and shrugged. "What are you so happy about Yunie?"

Yuna smiled at Rikku. "Let's just say I found out something really good about someone." She walked past Rikku and Paine, her footfalls echoing down the corridor.

Paine and Rikku glanced at each other with a questioning glance before following Yuna. They continued down a corridor until they came to a moss-covered wall. The three sphere hunters spun around and walked back the way they came hugging each side of the walls. Rikku finally found another passageway and they continued down it. Yuna turned a corner and saw glowing sunlight at the end of the gloomy passage.

The three of them rushed down the corridor, their footfalls sounding after them. As they came closer to the shining a large shadow began to cover up the golden sunlight. Rikku stopped on her heals nearly causing Yuna to bump into her. Paine stopped before colliding with Yuna and gazed at the shadow.

There came a deep roar from the outside bellowing through the ruins. An object came rushing at the three friends. Rikku and Yuna fell on one wall and Paine on the other to make a passage for the shape to run through. The figure ran past the sphere hunters discarding a few golden feathers. 'A chocobo!' Yuna thought to herself.

A crashing came from the entryway where the shade bared the three friend's escape. A few rocks were wedged lose and came crashing down upon the mossy ground. Rikku leapt back in surprise as a large rock smashed onto the floor in front of her. The shade passed after crashing into the entryway for about three minutes. Paine released herself from the wall and strolled down to the doorway. Rikku and Yuna followed in suit.

The three of them exited the ruins and were ambushed by a massive fiend. It had a colossal head upon two large legs. Many sharpened teeth jutted out of its massive wicked mouth. Two extensive arms spread out from the head and ended in two muscular fists. The fiend had no body, just had a head with legs and arms. In its right fist was clutched a poor chocobo. It squawked and cried out as it was being suffocated in the strong grip of the fiend.

Rikku drew her two red-orange daggers and rushed at the fiend's right fist. She embedded them into the fiend's bulgy wrists it let out a terrible cry and released the squawking chocobo. The chocobo ran off across the dipping rope bridge extending to the calm lands.

The massive fiend swung its left arm at Rikku. She ducked under its massive arm swing and ran back to her friends. Paine was about to charge as the fiend swung its gigantic arm and struck her, sending her flying into a wall. Yuna whipped out her pistols and began to pump it full of lead. The bullets had no effect on the fiend's terrible charge as it barreled down upon her and Rikku.

Rikku leapt to the side glancing off the fiend's fingers. Yuna was not so lucky, she took a commanding blow in the side and was flung into a broken down statue. She couldn't pick herself off the ground and fell back down trying to lift her body. Rikku jumped onto the fiend and bore her flashing daggers into fleshy head. The fiend let out a distressed cry as it trashed out wildly. It smashed through the statue where Yuna lay helpless. Debris fell at Yuna. She managed to roll a few feet just barely out of the range of the falling statue.

The bellowing fiend thrashed about making Rikku lose her balance and fall top the warmed ground. The fiend's gigantic feet thundered upon the ruins' stone walkways letting out deep vibrations. Some broken down jetties began to crumble and plunge to the ground adding only more to the chaos.

Rikku was almost trampled by the fiends clamoring feet. She rolled out from under the stomping just to barely avoid a plummeting piece of debris. She pulled herself up and looked around for Yuna and Paine. Yuna had gotten to her feet and was firing relentlessly at the fiend. Paine was off in the distance half covered by debris, not moving.

Yuna's strength was weaning as she fired franticly into the friend's glower eyes. Her arms began to quiver with each shot from her powerful pistols. She backed up to a wall and leaned on the moss for support as the shots rang out. A few of the zipping bullets flew into the fiend's yellow eyes blinding it temporarily. Its loss of sight made the fiend more infuriated and it began to trash about move and move violently.

A load hovering sound became apparent as Rikku ran over to Yuna's side. The Celsius appeared between two fluffy clouds. Brother's voice could be heard over the loudspeaker. "Yuna! I'm coming!"

The Celsius came hovering down near the fiend that was in a fit of anger. A large crane sprung out of a port side hole and lowered a net down onto the rampaging fiend. The net draped itself over the fiend and then closed around its enormous feet pulling it into the air. The crane moved the fiend over a vast chasm to the side of the rope bridge that was suspended between the ruins and the calm lands. The crane released the net along with the fiend into the vast chasm. It fell with a shrill bellow as it plummeted into the gorge.

The Celsius began its descent to the ruins, lowering a rope ladder to the three sphere hunters. Rikku and Yuna strode over to where Paine was trapped under some rubble. They heaved on the large boulders and rocks but they didn't budge. Brother came hastily down the rope ladder, falling down it ten feet to the ground. Rising to his feet he hastily ran to Yuna.

Brother reached Yuna out of breath. "Yuna…. you all…right?" He puffed. Yuna nodded and pointed to Paine pinned under the wreckage. Brother struck some strange pose and grasped the edge of a boulder. He heaved on it till he couldn't heave anymore.

Buddy came down the rope ladder a minute after Brother. He came over to the three struggling to lift the wreckage off of Paine. He radioed Shinra and ordered him to prepare the crane. Shinra activated the crane and positioned it above the rubble. Buddy gestured to Brother, Yuna, and Rikku to step aside as the crane came down and lifted up the rubble.

Yuna and Rikku dragged Paine off the cleared ground to her feet. Paine's reddish eyes opened to see her friends hauling her. Yuan saw Paine's eyes open and glanced at Rikku with her bi-colored eyes. "You okay Paine?"

Paine gazed up at Yuna with her emotionless face. "Yeah." Yuna smiled at her friend's emotionless expression. She was relived to see that Paine was unharmed.

Brother helped Yuna and Rikku haul the immobile Paine up the rope ladder to the Celsius while Buddy radioed Shinra to crank up the ladder. The rope ladder rose up with the five of them on it fumbling in the air. When they got into the Celsius Yuna and Rikku took Paine to her bed and made her rest despite her refusal. Yuna went and rested upon her bed and closed her eyes.

Well there you are the first chapter. I hope you liked it. As always R&R please. An if there are any LOD fans out there check out my other story "Bardel's Fury".


	2. A Summoner's Hatred

**The Shattered Calm**

Chapter 2: A Summoner's Hatred

**Spira'sSentry- **Thank you for your encouragement. Well here's chapter 2 for you!

**Eriks leadinglady- **Don't you fret my friend. And thank you for your review it made my horrible day bearable. And here you are chapter 2! Sorry for it being a little long for the update by my profile is a bit messed up and it wouldn't let me upload stuff.

Yuna awoke the next morning to the sound of Rikku calling her name. She rose up to a sitting position and gazed about the room, Rikku was nowhere in sight. She heard Rikku's voice again only this time it was over the intercom. Rikku told Yuna to head to the bridge because there was some sphere waves coming from outside of Zanarkand. Yuna got up and brushed her smooth brown hair and went up the elevator to the bridge.

As Yuna rose up on the elevator she could hear some voices over the intercom but couldn't quite place them. Then yelling shot over it and she realized who it was 'Rikku and Brother are fighting again' she thought as the elevator came to a stop at the bridge.

Yuna ran down the corridor to the bridge where everyone was gathered. Rikku and Brother were shouting in Al Bhed at each other and Buddy was in the middle trying to break it up. Shinra was quietly working at his desk. When Yuan entered the room Brother stopped shouting and stiffened up as Rikku kicked him in the shin. Buddy just shook his head.

Paine was standing in her dark corner as usual eyeing Brother and Rikku. Yuna glanced around the bridge and saw Paine leaning up against the wall. "Are you alright Paine? Are you sure you should be up and about?"

Paine glanced up and Yuna. "I'm as fine as I can be with these two and their relentless fighting." Rikku turned to Paine and shot her a dirty look with her tongue out.

Yuna smiled at Paine's remark and walked down the echoing stairs on the right side of the bridge. She looked at Buddy as if wanting to know something as she drew closer to the middle of the room. Buddy realized that Yuna was trying to find out about the sphere waves and answered the unasked question. "We picked up some sphere waves from outside of Zanarkand in the shadow of Mt. Gagazet." He returned to his set.

Yuna stood there for a moment not moving. She was thinking of Zanarkand and of the last days she had with _him._ Her thought was broken when Rikku called to her and was waving a hand in front of her face. Yuna shook her head, her silky hair flipping this way and that. Then she moved over to Buddy past Brother who was basically gawking at her.

Buddy turned towards Yuan as she approached him. "I'm sorry Yuna but if you want to check the sphere waves out I can't get us close to it. We'll need to land somewhere out of the way." He informed.

Paine looked over to Yuna who was deliberating to go or not. Yuna pivoted on her heel and faced Paine and Rikku. "Well, do you think we should go?"

"I'm always up for an adventure!" Rikku cried as she started to bounce on her heels.

"If you two are going I should go to keep an eye on Rikku." Paine stated in her emotionless voice pushing away from the wall. Rikku shot another evil look at her.

Yuna laughed as she looked at her two friends. "I guess we'll go and find that sphere!"

Buddy turned back around and typed in the coordinates and the Celsius took off flying through the clear blue sky towards Zanarkand.

Yuna paced around the bridge on their approach to Zanarkand. She had been there before, a year ago, but she still felt uneasy bringing up old memories. "Yunie are you alright?" Rikku's hyper voice broke Yuna's trance. She gazed up at her cousin and then back to the floor.

Rikku's usually cheery expression transformed to a sad one at her cousin's mope mood. She walked over to her cousin's side and put her tanned arm around Yuna's shoulder. "You know, you shouldn't be so sad on a mission cuz then you'll have no fun." Rikku tried to comfort Yuna but to no avail.

Buddy then announced that they were nearing Zanarkand and should get their items together. Yuna got her two pistols out of the cargo box next to her bed that she had forgotten to pick up after her rude awakening. Paine collected some potions and Rikku bounced around the bridge awaiting their arrival at Zanarkand. Shinra said that there were stronger fiends here than in any of the surrounding areas and they should take special caution and gave Yuna a little flying scout machina than looked like a firefly.

The Celsius rested upon a small patch of flat land in the middle of endless spires and other obstacles. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine strode out of the Celsius and activated the little firefly machina. It flew around them and beeped a lot. Then it began to scan the areas around them at a distance of a few hundred feet to where they stood. As they walked the flying scout revolved around them scanning the area for fiends.

The surrounding area was a gigantic maze of ruins and debris all made of some sort of bluish gray stone. The walkways consisted of the same material; they wove around in between all the ruins and were in rather good shape for being in ruins. The three companions continued their search for the sphere in the massive ruins walking around aimlessly for some time.

Rikku rounded a corner to find a massive bird-like fiend awaiting them. It had black feathers fluttering around its massive body and wings. There was black fog coming out from its colossal jaws. It had a short stubby tail draped in the same deep black feathers as the rest of its body. Its two glowering yellow eyes focused on Rikku causing fear to shudder through her body.

Yuna soon caught up to her fear-inflicted cousin to see the massive bird fiend hovering above her. Paine soon followed and drew out her skull sword and raised it ready to attack. Yuna followed in suit drawing her two pistols out of their leather holsters. She aimed them at the birds fluttering throat and fired a flaming bullet at it. The shot rang through the ruins awaking Rikku from her fearful daze. She immediately took out her red orange daggers and rushed to the huge bird.

The bird lashed out with its massive hooked teeth at the charging Rikku. She dove out of the way as the bird's teeth bit into the old dirt. Paine ran in to assist her friend with her sword trailing at her side. She brought it up into the bird's chest slashing a large gash. The bird fiend reared its terrible head and let out a deafening screech of pain causing the three friends to cover their ears in pain.

The fiend's dark wings began to glow a dark bluish purple. Yuna fired a bunch of consecutive shots into one of its wings but it was in vain. The bird fiend took its wings back and shoved them forward causing it to be pushed back ten feet. A strong wind assailed the three sphere hunters and rolled them along the cold hard ground till they smashed into a spire. Rikku was separated from Paine and Yuna on the other side of the bird and a lot farther away.

Yuna crouched on her knees and winced in pain. Her back felt like it was on fire and she collapsed to the dusty ground. Paine didn't get up because of her injuries the previous day had come back ten fold. Rikku plucked herself up off the ground and gazed at Yuna and Paine. 'Great! That big meanie knocked Yuna and Paine out.' She thought as she grabbed her daggers out of the ground and rushed at the fiend's back.

The bird fiend didn't notice Rikku running up behind it because it was flapping over to the incapacitated Yuna and Paine. Rikku leapt up onto its stubby tail and ran along its spine up to the beginning of its neck. The fiend thrashed about trying to topple the thief off its vulnerable back. Rikku grasped onto its dark feathers and held on for her life as the fiend's thrashing became increasingly violent. She managed to only hold on with one hand as she dug one of her daggers into the fiend's back. It let out another cry of pain and tossed Rikku off onto Yuna.

Rikku jumped off of Yuna as she dropped a potion for her cousin and ran away from her. The bird followed her and left Yuna and Paine alone. Yuna drank the warming liquid inside the vile giving her strength as soon as it ran down her soft throat. Rikku ran circles around the fiend and dropped a potion at Paine's side. Paine couldn't even move so Yuna crawled over to her and helped her drink the healing solution. Paine could now move on her own but not very well, she still winced in pain. She gently slipped out one of the potions she stored before they exited the Celsius and gulped it down. Most of the pain went away but she still couldn't fight up to par.

The bird was completely distracted by the circling Rikku and let the two injured ones recover. Rikku began to breath hard after a few moments of revolving around the fiend. She finally leapt at the bird's head and glanced her daggers off its teeth. 'Grrrrr! That big meanie!' She thought as she cartwheeled out of the way of another of the fiend's attacks. She ran onto a small piece of debris and back flipped onto the bird.

The bird flew high into the darkening sky with Rikku as its passenger. Rikku glanced around nervously as she rose up higher and higher on the fiend's back. Wind rushed past her ears with a screech making her curl up into a ball for a moment. She started to panic as the bird stopped and just hovered in the cooling sky.

Then the bird began to roll to the side slowly. Rikku ran and grasped onto its right side as it flipped on its left. Then she leapt up onto its back as it continued to spin. The bird stopped again for only a moment before plunging out of the sky. Rikku flew up in the air from the sudden plummet and she soon caught up to the falling fiend. Gripping to the fiend's black feathers as she landed on it with a softened thud she praying for her life. The fiend stopped abruptly as it neared the ground causing Rikku to bounce up and come crashing back onto it.

Yuna rose to her feet as the fiend returned back to the ruin riddled ground. Rikku bounced off of it as it came to its stop and was tossed onto a bluish gray pillar. She rolled off it as she landed on top of it. She landed face first on the ground below smearing dust upon her vibrant face. Yuan rushed over to her cousin and cradled her head up and let her drink a southing potion.

Yuna rested Rikku against a piece of debris and drew her pistols. She began to fire rapid shots into the fiend. The pistols raged as shot after shot rang from the barrels. As the fiend was struck with each individual bullet its body gave way to each. The bullets were wearing the fiend down as it began to descend to the ground sticking its talons into the dusty earth. Yuna didn't stop her relentless assault of bullets until the fiend flapped over to her and tossed her aside with its massive jaws.

Out of nowhere a blade pierced the bird fiend's head and it fell to the ground leisurely. Paine stood with her skull blade covered slightly with purple blood dripping off of it. Pyreflies began their harmonious ascent into the air to the farplane. Rikku stood up and strolled over to Yuna who was on her knees with her guns at her sides. Rikku helped up her cousin to her feet. Yuna plucked her guns up and spun them on her index fingers and slipped them into their holsters.

"Is everyone alright?" Yuna queried in her soft voice. Rikku smiled and bounced around as normal and Paine just stood there putting away her sword.

Rikku went over to Yuna's side. "Looks like it Yunie!" Putting her arm around Yuna's shoulders.

Paine looked away form the two cousins and spoke, "Let's get moving."

"Right!"

The three of them continued their search for the sphere through the vast ruins. They encountered a few other bird and lizard like fiends but they were easily slain and the three sphere hunters continued on. They searched for hours and still no sign of a sphere. The night came on quick after their encounter with the giant bird fiend and it soon became extremely cold in the shadow of Mt. Gagazet.

Rikku was shivering in her yellow bikini top and short green shorts. "Burrrrrr! It's so cold out here Yunie." Paine glared at her. "We know."

"You don't have to be a meanie, you know."

They continued to travel through the empty ruins for another hour. Then over the communicator Buddy's voice sounded. "It's getting very cold down there maybe you should return to the Celsius and call it a night. We can bring it over and drop the rope ladder."

Yuna stopped and looked at her friends. "Well, maybe we should call it a night, you know. It is getting colder every minute.

"I agree with Yunie. Let's go back to the Celsius." Rikku shivered.

Paine glanced at Rikku. "Fine then let's just abandon out mission." Paine turned back and started walking again.

"What do you think is up with Paine today Yunie?" She whispered to Yuna.

Yuna turned to the shivering Rikku. "I…don't know." She shivered too.

The two cousins followed their disgruntled friend through even more endless ruins in the deepening cold. Nothing caught either of their eyes as they strolled throughout the ancient ruins. The companions encountered a few small fiends that they quickly dealt with and moved on. Still nothing was interesting, every ruin looking the same as the one before almost as if they were walking around in circles. They finally came upon something that caught Rikku's eye.

"Yunie! Paine! Look!" She pointed to a small moss grown chest and bounced over to it.

Yuna and Paine followed their hyper friend to the dull chest. "Looks like just another treasure chest to me, nothing special about it." Paine stated gazing at the ordinary chest.

Yuna went over to the chest her cousin was huddled over and lifted the latch unlocking it. Then she pushed open the top part of the chest with a chill hand. A bright orange glow shot out of the chest as the top flew open. The light soon diminished and revealed the Gullwings prize. It was an ordinary orange treasure sphere than contained something recoded on it.

Rikku snatched it up into her cold hands and slipped it into a pouch. "We should get back to the Celsius so Shinra can work on this sphere so we can watch what we found! Call buddy and have him pick us up Yunie."

Yuna signaled to Buddy to come to snatch the three sphere hunters out of the clutches of the chill winds. The Celsius was soon overhead and the same rope ladder unfolded down to the three girls. Rikku was first on the ladder and then Yuna followed by silent Paine.

As the ladder was cranked up a sharp and strong tug pulled at the Celsius. The three sphere hunters turned a glance at the ground over their shoulders. They saw a massive behemoth fiend wrenching on the end of the ladder with its two colossal paws. Rikku almost lost her balance at the first tug and her right hand and left leg slipped off of the ladder. Yuna put a steadying hand up to the bottom of Rikku's shoe and aided her to gain her balance back.

The behemoth relentlessly yanked at the rope ladder to the point where Yuna and Rikku thought that it would break and come crashing to the ground. As that thought flashed through both of their minds Shinra's little flying scout machina flew in next to the behemoth and scanned it. The machina beeped a few times and then flew in front of the behemoth's mouth and flew straight threw its teeth and down its throat.

A few more beeps were uttered from within the behemoth's belly. Then it beeped ten times as if counting down. The fiend exploded as the beeping rose to ten sending pyreflies flying everywhere. They continued on to the farplane in their harmonious flight.

When the three sphere hunters were safe inside the Celsius Rikku ran over to Shinra and queried him about that machina that had just saved their lives. Paine fell back to her same dark corner and Yuna just stood in the center of the bridge and Brother leapt from his seat to check on Yuna as Buddy struck him in the back of the head.

Shinra spun around in his seat after Rikku left him and rested upon the back. "It will take me a while to decipher this sphere so you might as well get some rest."

Rikku yawned at the mention of rest and tore off for the elevator. Paine slowly but surely pushed off of her wall and walled slowly to the elevator. Yuna soon followed them after a few moments of thought heading to her comfortable bed, she was tired and some sleep would work wonders. She lay down under her silky sheets and closed her bi-colored eyes and drifted into a sweet slumber.

She had no dreams of _him_ that night. She for once got a thorough and gentle sleep. Relaxing with the night sounds of crickets and the soft hum of the airship as it hovered.

Yuna awoke the next day to a beautiful golden sunrise with birds chirping melodiously in the clear azure sky. She strolled herself over to the washroom and took a long warm shower letting the warm water cascade down her soft skin. She walked over to her dresser after taking her leave from the warm waters and picked up her ruby colored brush and smoothed out her silky brown hair. She unwrinkled her gunner clothes as she slipped into them.

Paine was standing in the doorway to the bedroom/bar. She saw Yuna's happy and relaxed expression as she descend the clanking stairs towards her. "Someone seems to be happy and relaxed today." Paine stated, as Yuna got closer to her.

Yuna smiled. "You know, for once I actually got a good nights sleep and I feel great."

Rikku came clamoring down the corridor to the bedroom/bar after leaping off the elevator. She stopped next to Paine and smiled as she saw Yuna's face. "Wow, you seem happy this morning Yunie!"

"She could actually sleep because you weren't snoring last night." Paine jested.

"Hey! You big meanie!" She went and stood right in Paine's face.

Yuna broke up the confrontation. "Hey, stop it you two." She said in a calming voice.

Rikku backed off of Paine as Paine let a small grin slip. Rikku walked back to the elevator, slumped over. She suddenly leapt into the air and spun around. "Yunie, I almost forgot! Shinra is done decrypting that sphere and he said we could watch it now!"

"Right!"

Yuna ran to her cousin's side and stepped onto the elevator. Paine leisurely pushed herself away from the doorway and followed the two cousins. They reached the bridge in a matter of seconds after Paine took her good old time walking to the elevator. Rikku tore down the corridor and leapt off the rail and landed in the center, as Yuna often dose. Yuna followed her cousin in suit. Paine walked in her usual way.

Yuna walked over to Shinra following Rikku's bouncing steps. Paine filed in behind the two. Shinra spun around in his seat and looked at Yuna. "Wanna watch the sphere?" Yuna nodded and he twisted back and activated the sphere.

Wavy lines covered the screen and a bit of static blipped around the screen. Most of the static cleared revealing a gigantic city lit up with thousands of lights. A lot of the buildings were sphere shaped and long causeways ran throughout the length of the massive city. No people filled the lit up paths throughout the city. Nothing filled the huge screens adorn on the sides of some of the colossal buildings. The city looked completely deserted except for the thousands of lights illuminating the ghost town.

Rikku glanced at Yuna. Yuna was focusing on the sphere so much she didn't notice Rikku staring at her. "Yunie, is everything all right?"

Yuna snapped out of her trance. "Huh? What?" She shook her head clearing her thoughts. "I was just thinking."

Rikku had a look of concern on her face. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong Yunie?"

Yuna gazed into her cousin's eyes. "I was just thinking about something _he_ said be for he left, about Zanarkand. His description fits this city."

"Oh! Well lets keep watching!" The two of them turned back to the sphere.

A massive explosion shattered the quite recording engulfing a fourth of the city in its orange flames. Screams shot through the shattered air piercing the watcher's ears. A horde of machina came creeping out of the crater left by the explosion and scurried about the long causeways. People came out of the gray smoke after the machina. They were wielding rifles as they ran after their machina. About a thousand strong of these soldiers came rushing behind their machina army.

A cry could be heard as the massive army swept over the quiet town. "Bevelle! Bevelle has come!" Another blast silenced the scream.

"Hey! I though Zanarkand was destroyed by Sin not Bevelle, right?" Rikku commented.

Yuna nodded. "Bevelle keeps many secrets." Paine added.

"Your right!" They changed their focus back to the sphere.

Machina sprung forth from the other side of the city to confront the massive hordes of Bevelle. Soldiers filed in behind their machina, guns raised. The Bevelle warriors and machina rounded the corner and meet the city's defenders. The defenders opened fire upon the Bevelle intruders as they rounded the lit corner. Large turrets mounted upon the roofs of the near by buildings opened fire sending huge shells at the invaders throwing many of them a sunder. Machine guns upon tripods blazed at the invading Bevelle soldiers. One after another the Bevelle intruders fell prey to the defenders' bullets and shells.

A strange figure that was clad in off white and green robes appeared in the crowd of the Bevelle soldiers. He did some strange hand motions, which Yuna realized were summoning motions. A burning glyph appeared below the summoner as the ground burst into flames and burst into the chaotic air. Yuan and Rikku noticed that it was the summoning of Ifrit. Ifrit rose into the air and smashed the rocks and flames around him away with his powerful claws. The ground shook slightly as he landed upon the paved ground. The Bevelle soldiers cheered when the summoner summoned Ifrit.

The massive turrets mounted upon the buildings were ordered to fire on the newly summoned Ifrit. Shells were flung threw the air and slammed into Ifrit's side. The shells burned away on impact. Ifrit charged up a massive ball of red-orange flames around his right claws. Lifted it up and spiked it at one of the building turrets. It exploded as the flame ball slid threw it and flew back around smashing into another of the turrets, knocking it down onto the defense line.

All of the city's defenders opened fire at Ifrit, removing their fire from all other targets. Ifrit was on an unstoppable rampage smashing through the boundaries of the defenders. They were powerless to stop the rampaging Aeon. It killed so many of their men and machina before someone stepped in to their aid.

A woman scantily clad in bark blue and white garments. She preformed a few motions and then large spike of ice came crashing down from the dark sky forming a kind of prison. A reflective figure gently floated down into the prison of ice. The figure became visible and tossed a cloak like garment away as the ice shattered. Yuna and Rikku noted that it was Shiva.

Shiva lifted her elegant left hand and cast a powerful ice spell on the rampaging Ifrit. Ifrit stopped in its tracks as the ice assailed it. It turned to face Shiva and gave out a load roar. Shiva provoked Ifrit with a gentle hand movement. Ifrit leapt, spinning, into the air and came plummeting down upon Shiva. She avoided Ifrit's attack with a small sidestep. Shiva raised her right hand to the sky and brought it down dropping a large clump of ice onto Ifrit's head. Ifrit collapsed to the ground motionless ice cascading down around it. Pyreflies began to rise from the dematerializing body.

The Bevelle intruders backed down at the defeat of their beloved Aeon. The defenders of Zanarkand fired rapidly at the retreating enemies. A loud cheer shot from the defenders after the last of the Bevelle soldiers rounded the corner and fled away from their city. They praised the summoner and raised her upon their shoulders parading her around the street.

"Thank you Lady Yunalesca!" Soldiers cheered for their heroic summoner. "You are the best summoner ever!"

The crowd paraded around the streets in a fantastic celebration for their victory. The once deserted streets were now filled to their maximum capacity with loud cheering fans. Yunalesca was paraded around all of Zanarkand. The bright lights lit up the celebrating city as a few scattered fireworks brightened the dreary night sky.

The retreating soldiers of Bevelle fled into the nearby mountain Gagazet. The soldiers filed up trudging through the deep white snow. Their heads were hung low as they made their treacherous march back to Bevelle.

The summoner that had summoned Ifrit back in Zanarkand was filled with fiery hatred of Yunalesca. 'How? How could I lose to the likes of her? I am the greatest summoner there is in Bevelle. Dose this mean our mighty capital has a flaw? NO! I will seek her out and defeat her to set things right. Besides if I don't my superiors would have my head.'

A soldier ran up to the summoner. "Summoner Issark, sir, are you okay?"(Yeah I'm bad at making up names)

Issark shook his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." The summoner kept his head low.

The solder walked beside the summoner. "It's not your fault sir. She just played the elemental weakness of your Aeon. Next time you can defeat her."

Issark looked over at the soldier. "Yeah, I guess so. Well, thanks you're a good soldier."

The soldier did some motions, the praise be to Yevon thing, and walked away leaving the summoner to wallow in his failure alone.

The sphere became veiled in static and wavy lines. "Awwwww! It went out." Rikku whined.

"So Zanarkand wasn't destroyed in that fight." Paine stated the obvious.

"Guess not."

Yuna was lost in thought as Rikku and Paine conversed a bit about what they had seen. 'So, Lady Yunalesca wasn't so bad before Sin came around. She was taken as a hero to the people of Zanarkand. That's just so different from the Yunalesca we encounter in Zanarkand three years ago. I wonder what drove her to madness.'

"Yunie? Yunie?" Rikku was waving her hands in front of Yuna's face. "You there?"

Yuna shook her head. "Yeah, I'm here.' Yuna reported.

Well there you have it chapter 2. Hope you liked it. Please R&R. Feel free to give criticism, I want to know if there is anything I should change. And to all you LOD fans out there check out my other story "Bardel's Fury". Also Check out "2 Fallen Gods, and a Guardian Angel" By Anbu713 (a FFX fic) and for all u D&D fans out there Check out "The Dragon War" By lightningwizard.


	3. The Figure

Chapter 3: The Figure

**Eriks leadignlady**- Yeah, thanks, didn't realize I made soooooo many errors; I'm usually good with not doing stuff like that, probly cuz I type slowly, so I didn't proof read and don't worry I checked this one as I typed so I hope I didn't miss any errors. I'm really glad you like it!

Yuna and Rikku were discussing what they had witnessed on the sphere and compared it to what they knew from three years ago. Paine sat off in a dark corner blocking out all of the talk between the two cousins. Shinra typed away at his computer thinking and formulating new inventions. Buddy sat at his chair scanning Spira for any signs of sphere waves or anything out of the ordinary. Brother was asleep at the helm, snoring noisily.

Yuna and Rikku were immersed in conversation through the wonderful sunset. "Yunalesca was a hero before she defeated Sin. She even saved Zanarkand from Bevelle. So dose this mean she wasn't a bad person till she sacrificed herself to defeat sin?" Rikku's hyper voice echoed throughout the bridge.

"I guess so." Yuna's low voice rang through Rikku's ears. "I think anyone would go mad if they had to sacrifice their loved one for the final Aeon and then get killed by it and have Sin come back after the calm."

"You're right Yunie, anyone would!"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two but we are receiving a distress call from Tromell. He says that some fiends have been coming out of the farplane. He calls for our aid in his time of need as the leader of the Guado and as a friend. Will we go?" Buddy gazed back at Yuna and Rikku.

"Shall we go?" Paine queried.

Rikku nodded to Yuna. "Let's go!" Yuna shouted throughout the bridge waking Brother from his sweet slumber.

"Right, on it." The Celsius took off towards Guadosalam to Tromell's aid.

The Gullwings arrived at Guadosalam in about a half hour. They walked into the town to find that some of the homes and shops had been attacked. No Guado could be seen on the few streets of the Guado homeland. So Yuna and the others strolled over to what had been Seymour's palace three years ago and then the HQ of the Leblanc syndicate a year ago. Now it had a new master, Tromell, the leader of the Guado, after reassuring from Yuna, Rikku and Paine about a year ago.

The Gullwings waltzed up to Tromell's home and knocked on the large red door. A voice came from behind the door. "Who is it?" It queried.

"It's the Surging Flapping Neighboring Gullwings!" Brother struck a queer pose, as he dose often. Buddy struck Brother in the back of the head knocking him to the doorstep.

"Its us!" Rikku bounced on her heels smiling.

The large red door opened slowly revealing an old Guado with green hair and the traditional huge hands. "Lady Yuna, what a delight to see you again." Tromell said slowly as he always dose.

Rikku pawed at the air. "Don't forget about us!"

Tromell turned to face the frenzied Rikku. "Forgive me. A pleasure seeing you again Miss Rikku and Miss Paine." He nodded to both. "Excuse my poor manners come in, come in." The Gullwings entered the strange home of Tromell into the hall of Guado leaders past. A harmonious melody floated through the empty home of Tromell.

The fuzzy portraits of the past leaders of the Guado rested upon the wall. Rikku gazed around and stopped on one of the portraits. Her swirled green narrowed and she stuck her tongue out for a moment. It was none other than Seymour's portrait with his trademark sinister grin painted upon his snickering visage.

Tromell noted Rikku's reaction to his former lord's portrait. "Please Miss Rikku do not show any disrespect to a former leader in my home. Although he was evil at heart he still brought peace to us Guado the short time he was a Maester of Yevon." Tromell continued onwards and showed his quests to the gathering hall where they would speak.

When they entered the hall with the two long tables on the flanks of the room and the huge circular one in the middle with the mass of plants on it. 'The same plants still here' Rikku thought as she gazed upon the middle table. 'What do they never die?'

Tromell pivoted on heels to face his guests. "You are already aware of why you are here. It's because there have been some strange events taking place with the farplane. Fiends have been spouting out of the farplane and yet we cannot figure out how or why this is happening. That is why I informed you of our situation because I know you are used to dealing with these types of situations." He turned away from his guests and let out a long sigh.

Rikku went up in front of Tromell. "Don't worry Tromell, the Gullwings are on the case!" Her spunky attitude affected Tromell, somehow.

"Oh, thank you Miss Rikku and you all." Tromell exclaimed in his most happy voice any of them had ever heard, and yet it was still low and peaceful as always.

"No problem." Buddy affirmed.

Yuna faced Paine she nodded. "Right! Let's do it!"

Brother started up another pose. "Sur..." Buddy struck him over the head again; almost sending him threw the middle table.

The Gullwings were escorted out By Tromell into the forsaken streets of Guadosalam. Tromell called to Yuna, as they were heading up the road to the farplane entrance. "Lady Yuna." She stopped and strode back to the old Guado. "Here take this." He handed her a small orange orb. "I found this a while back, about three months ago near the door to the farplane after the fiends began to come out."

Yuna looked upon the orange orb, it faintly glowed. "Oh…thank you Tromell." She gazed back to the old Guado.

"My pleasure ma Lady." He smiled as Yuna slid the orange orb into one of her pouches. She turned and ran off to the rest of her group at the entrance to the farplane.

Rikku meet her cousin. "What ya get?"

Yuna pulled out the orange orb that Tromell just gave her. "This sphere." She slipped it back into her pouch.

"Another score for the Gullwings." Buddy remarked.

Yuna walked past her four friends and up to the entrance to the farplane. "Let's go!" Her friends followed her hastily.

Brother and Buddy pushed open the doors like the good gentlemen they are. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine walked past the two doormen. "Thanks guys." Yuna thanked them. "Yeah." Rikku stated. Brother looked down, although he was pleasing the one he longed for. Buddy nodded and let the door slid shut after them.

Rikku broke the still silence on their way up the two flights of stairs. "Wonder how the fiends are getting through? Maybe it's like two years ago. What do you think Yunie?" She turned to her cousin.

"Maybe…"

The silence continued on after than as they continued to ascend the flights of stairs. The barrier between the farplane and the mortal realm was up in its bluish glory. The Gullwings walked through the bubbly barrier into the vast farplane. The platform that hovered in the center stood there with its brownish stalagmites etched around the edge of the platform. Below, vast fields of multicolored flowers mixed with pyreflies waved in the soothing breeze. A massive waterfall splashed down upon the brown boulders at its base. A bright yellow orange sun sat high in the sky casting a shadow on the objects at the base of the colossal waterfall. Pyreflies danced harmoniously as far as the eye could see.

Even though Yuna was here three years ago she still let out a gasp at the marvelous sight. Rikku, being her first time in the farplane because she refused to go in three years ago, gazed around in wonder at the many spectacles. Brother and Buddy followed Rikku's reaction.

Pyreflies began to swirl around the Gullwings. They all gazed at the pyreflies as they entwined around each member. Then the pyreflies rushed away and began to change their movements from harmonious to sporadic. Forms began to manifest in front of the dazzled Gullwings. The shades dispersed revealing fiends encircling the companions.

Buddy and Brother whom came unarmed, for some reason, backed up away from the manifesting fiends. Their backs brushed up against something rigid, sharp and chill. They leapt around away from the object. It was a short fiend that looked like a blue ball with ice sickles jutting out from its back. The fiend unwrapped its fat arms from around its rock hard body. It ran at Brother and Buddy as they fled towards Yuna, Rikku and Paine.

Paine faced the tough shelled ice fiend with a cold, dark stare. She rushed up to it dragging her skull sword along the dusty ground. Her sword sliced through the fiend's rough hide and flew into the air, splattering a bit of purple colored blood before bursting into pyreflies. With already being in the farplane the pyreflies stayed around the Gullwings, taunting them with every dip and dive in their harmonious flight.

A small, nimble lizard like fiend crept up on Rikku as she was fighting with another fiend. It leapt upon her back, latching onto her with its barbed legs. She let out a small cry of pain as she franticly shook the fiend off. Her orange and yellow daggers flashed through the disturbed air into the fiend's supple stomach. It also burst into pyreflies as the fiend that Paine slew did.

Yuna was being assailed by a multitude of flying fiends. They plunged upon her as her pistols blazed firing her deadly bullets into their lean wings. The light bird fiends fell to the hard brownish ground and bounced about a foot or so off the ground before steadying upon it. She ran over to the aid of Buddy and Brother who were being assaulted by a pack of wolf like fiends.

Paine was dealing with a large komodo dragon like fiend. All of her blows were being deflected aside cutting through the air. She brought her skull blade down from the right diagonally leaving a slight gash in the fiend's protective scales. The fiend charged at her and smacked her with the full brunt of a tackle. It sent her sliding on her heels a few feet backwards before she regained her balance. She charged the fiend as it attempted to ram her again. It missed and she dug her blade into the minute gash she had left in its side. The fiend let out a terrible cry of pain as Paine's jagged blade sunk into its soft flesh beneath its rough hide. The fiend fell to the ground and burst into pyreflies whiling around the platform.

Rikku was fighting off hordes of slender and agile lizard fiends near the edge of the platform. She sent many of them off the edge of the craggy platform into the endless fields of numerous colored flowers. One fiend latched itself onto Rikku and knocked her on her back. She flailed around on the ground trying to shake off the light weighted fiend but it was in vain. The fiend pricked her with a poisonous tooth before she sent it soaring over the rim. She quickly reached into one of her few pouches and drew out a small test tube corked with a green stopper. She hastily drank down the nasty tasting fluid releasing her from toxin.

More and more fiends gather onto the small platform over looking the endless fields of flowers and the majestic waterfall. The Gullwings were ensnared in different spots of it in pockets of fiends. They had no way of helping out each other and soon fell prey to their various weaknesses. Buddy and Brother managed to escape the hordes of fiends but they couldn't just leave so they rushed to the weapon shop outside of the farplane in Guadosalam and bought a few weapons. Brother grabbed a slender yet sturdy spear and rushed back to help out the others. Buddy picked a sword with lighting etched into the blade and hastily ran back to support his friends.

When Brother and Buddy passed through the barrier separating the mortal realm from that of the farplane five fiends jumped them. They quickly fought them off and began to trudge through the crowds of fiends towards the fighting forms of their three friends. A fiend was about to impale Yuna in the back when Brother got to her. He jammed his spear tip into its flesh and stopped its blow. He tossed the fiend aside as it burst into pyreflies in mid toss. Yuna thanked him with a friendly nod as another fiend jumped upon her. She wrestled with it till she got a clear shot at its neck and fired a succession of heated bullets. The fiend lay limp upon her for a moment before dematerializing into the harmonious pyreflies.

Buddy approached Rikku as he wadded through the masses of fiends cutting them aside with ease. She was in a duel with a rather large fiend that looked like a yeti with four arms and purple fur. The yeti fiend swung its destructive arms at the agile Rikku missing her and pummeling the rigid platform. Buddy approached it from behind after it lashed out at Rikku and crawled onto it back grasping its purple fur. They fiend twirled around and attempted to grab and throw its attacker off. Before it grasped Buddy and hurled him through the sea of fiends he struck the in the head as a small lighting bolt shocked it. He landed against a stalagmite snapping off the tip and fell almost impaling him.

Paine was alone in her efforts to defend herself from the overwhelming odds. She only suffered minor wounds throughout her battles fighting her way to Rikku. A medium sized bird fiend swooped down upon her and grasped her shoulders in its massive talons. She swung her blade at the fiend's legs in an attempt to loosen its grip on her. She cut its leg up with a few slashes but nothing to critical. The fiend's talons released her sending her plummeting towards the sea of fiends. As she fell she noted that there was a stalagmite in her path of falling. She stretched out her arms with her sword in her two hands and waited. The blade caught the tip of the rock and she pushed herself to the side. She tumbled as she hit the ground, but that's a lot better than getting impaled.

Brother was fighting off fiends as Yuna fired her dual pistols from behind his protection. They were forced up against the rim of the platform and were fighting gallantly. A small lizard fiend leapt at the two while they were distracted with the various other fiends assailing them. Brother noticed the fiend jumping at them and moved his spear to stick it but the fiend landed on the end of his spear and ran down it. The fiend latched onto his face with its barbed feet and stuck him in the forehead. Brother let out an intense cry of pain as Yuna shot the fiend off of her protector's face.

Yuna was helpless to aid Brother as he slid to the floor with toxins flowing through his blood. She gazed around franticly to find her friends for aid but they were immersed in battle. Buddy was laying upon the ground in pain as fiends began to creep up on him. Paine was caught up in the fight with Rikku against the purple yeti.

They were having difficulty slaying the massive fiend as it gave Paine a commanding blow in the side sending her soaring across the platform of rock. She slammed into a huge wasp looking fiend and pinned it to the ground as she fell through the air. Rikku flashed her two orange and yellow daggers in the fiend's flesh but to no avail. She evaded the massive blows of the amethyst fiend and ran up one of its four arms and perched herself upon its head. She franticly knifed the fiend's head in an attempt to stop its onslaught. The fiend bellowed and went berserk into the sea of fiends with its massive arms and fists smashing into the frail fiends splattering them on the spot dousing Rikku's tanned skin in a small film of blood.

Rikku rode the rampaging fiend through the endless tides of small fiends. She reached a point where she could see her cousin fighting off countless fiends with her two blazing pistols. Rikku's gaze met her Brother's who was upon the ground in pain. She threw an antidote to her incapacitated brother as the brutal fiend thundered past. He grasped the slender vial and popped the plug. He chugged down the antidote and then sprung to his feet to help the one he loved.

Ten fiends were overwhelming Yuna. She had suffered many cuts and scrapes along her smooth skin. Small droplets of crimson blood trickled down from the slender cuts along her thighs. A fiend was about to bite Yuna's right arm as a spear tip burst through its chest conveying a small amount of blood on Yuna's face. She brushed the blood onto her left arm and then onto her half dress.

Brother smiled at Yuna and she smiled back mouthing the words 'thank you'. A fiend tackled Brother in the legs knocking him to the ground in an instant. Yuna fired a few shots into the attacking fiend and it fell over, pyreflies leaking out of the holes made by the bullets. She ran over to Brother and outstretched a hand; he grabbed it and was yanked up. He spun around with his spear in hand sweeping along the ground. He tripped a few fiends as they came running over to the distracted duo. Then he impaled them, as they lay helpless on the ground.

Rikku held on with all her might as the purple furred yeti like fiend thrashed about. She continued to knife the fiend in the skull. The fiend would not go down it just kept rampaging around the platform wildly. The fiend eventually found its way over to the edge of the platform. Rikku stabbed it one last time before she flipped off and landed behind it as it walked off the cliff. Immediately after that fiend fell Rikku was assaulted by a pack of wolf like fiends. She easily cut them aside and ran off the find Yuna and the others.

Paine was still upon the floor, motionless, as fiends approached her. The fiends were about to feast on her flesh but they burst into pyreflies. They swirled around and went to the center of the platform and gathered. The rest of the fiends did the same thing bursting and floating into the center to form a giant ball of pyreflies. They entwined in each other and began to glow in a fait yellow gleam. The gleam spread throughout the farplane and blinded the Gullwings.

A figure emerged from the golden beam of light. The figure was clad in a blue shirt with red in the middle. Off white pants fluttered in the faint wind of the farplane. A bird mask was set upon the figure's visage. The figure just floated two feet off the ground for some time before a barking sound called through the silence. An orange and cream furred dog ran up beside the hovering figure. The figure came to rest upon the ground and stroked the orange dog on the head.

The figure then turned to the Gullwings, who were all together now. "You cannot be here. Now leave." The figure's arrogant voice rang throughout the entire farplane. "Or I will force you to stay here for all eternity if you wish." Pyreflies leaked around him as he spoke.

Brother stepped forward with his spear out thrust towards the figure. Buddy followed Brother's action with his sword drawn at his side. Rikku leap into place behind them with her daggers crossed. Paine stepped next to Buddy in formation. Yuna stood there lost in contemplation. 'Why? How can this be? It's just like a year ago only why have they come back? Why are you doing this!'

"Yunie! Yunie!" Rikku called to her cousin. "Ready? C'mon we gotta fight him."

Yuna faced her cousin. "Doesn't he seem familiar to you?" She queried.

"Nope!"

Yuna put a hand up to her chin. 'That's right. Only _he_ was there with me when I called upon the fayth for Yojimbo. She couldn't know'. "He's a fayth." Her voice was low and shattered.

"For which Aeon?" Paine questioned.

The figure was obviously pissed at his enemies' conversation and shouted, "I am Yojimbo the samurai phoenix!" He transformed into his Aeon state, his words becoming sinister.

Brother and Buddy gawked at the sight of the Aeon, for they never saw one before. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine stepped past the temporarily out of action Buddy and Brother. "Why have you come back?" Yuna shouted at Yojimbo.

He snickered. "I have my orders form my master." He replied.

Yojimbo drew his sword out or its black leather sheath and held it in front of his face. He waved his hand in a taunt before charging the five companions. His sword barreled down upon Rikku. She crossed her daggers and held them in the path of Yojimbo's katana. The katana rang off the daggers as they were ensnared between the two. Rikku twisted them to lock Yojimbo's sword in her daggers. She held on to them with all her might while Yojimbo yanked his sword up. His movement lifted Rikku into the soundless air with ease. He grinned and flicked his blade to his side sending Rikku flying through the air. She slid along the dusty ground to the edge of the platform then off. She gasped the edge and attempted to pull herself up she could not. She hung there waiting for one of her friends to come to her rescue.

Brother charged the phoenix with his spear. He successfully stuck its tip into Yojimbo's heart, or where it would be if he had one. He snickered an arrogant laugh as he dug around in his kimono. He produced three throwing daggers and flicked them in his fingers. He pulled back his arm and threw the three deadly objects at Brother. Brother attempted to dodge them but as they came down upon him a strange bluish shield sprung up and deflected them.

Yuna smiled. She had cast an item on Brother that set up mighty guard. "Got that from Shinra! You can thank him latter!" She yelled to the amazed Brother.

Yojimbo cast his arm into Brother pushing him back a few feet but not doing what he thought it would. Buddy ran up next to his friend and blocked an oncoming strike form Yojimbo's katana. A small surge of electricity conveyed up the katana and shocked the Aeon. He let out a command and his former little fluffy dog came charging up behind him and leapt at Buddy's right arm. The dog's fangs sunk into the flesh of Buddy's arm. Pain shot up into his brain causing him to go crazy and punch rapidity at the latched on dog. The dog let go and found its way to its master's side.

Yuna raised one of her pistols in a steady hand to Yojimbo's head. The trigger was pulled and a violent shot hurtled towards the phoenix samurai's head. He lifted his katana up to his face as the bullet came closer and closer. A ringing sound echoed form the blade near the finger guard. 'The bullet was deflected!' Yuna thought.

Yojimbo brought his sword down upon Brother. Paine stopped the blow right above Brother's quivering skull. She forced the blade up and to the side away from everyone. Brother took another stab at the phoenix, this time in the stomach. Pyreflies began to leak from the point of entry as Brother lifted his spear up through Yojimbo's entire body. From his stomach up Yojimbo began to split apart. Then pyreflies came from all around and began to shine in the wounds. The two halves of his body began to stitch themselves back together slowly.

After he was back together Yojimbo let out a giant laugh. "Hahahaha! Pathetic mortals you cannot kill a phoenix with mere child's play!"

He swiped Brother, Paine and Buddy away from him and put left hand near his face, his fingers were partially bent. He bowed his head and sort of hovered his hand in front of his face. The ground in front of him opened up into a deep black portal. A massive sword came from the gap dressed in a purple sheath. He clutched it and tilted it on its side slowly wrapping his right hand fingers around the hilt. He then cast to sheath aside with a loud echoing sound.

"My ultimate weapon." He stated in his arrogant voice.

Yojimbo charged Brother with his newly acquired weapon. He brought the sword down upon the spear from an angle. The spear shaft split in twain and slid away. Brother was stunned and was paralyzed with fear. Yojimbo took up his katana and jabbed it at Brother's stomach. A blade with a skull near the hilt caught Yojimbo's blow and held it in position. He pulled is katana away and dragged his massive sword up along the ground on his right side. Paine leapt away from the blow while hurling Brother with her.

Rikku finally heaved herself up over the rim of the platform. She rushed up behind the distracted phoenix samurai with her daggers ready. Yojimbo spun around and brought is katana down upon Rikku. She evaded the blade but a sharp pain rushed up from her foot. She collapsed from the pain in a huddled ball gasping her bleeding foot. Yojimbo walked over to the helpless Rikku. He raised his massive sword over his head with one hand and dropped it on her.

A shot rang throughout the farplane that clanged into Yojimbo's colossal sword sending him off balance in mid swing. He regained balance by sticking the tip of his blade into the ground on his left side. He faced Yuna with an annoyed gaze. He rushed her with both swords drawn. Metal on metal sounded as Yuna opened her eyes to see Buddy standing there holding up the two swords of Yojimbo with his single sword. His body was quivering under the intense pressure of the blow. Another small bolt of lighting shot up through the two blades and caused the phoenix to relinquish his attack.

Brother was useless for fighting so he ran over to his sister and helped heal and comfort her. The gash on Rikku's foot wasn't deep but it was damaging enough to prevent her from walking. Brother lifted her up and hobbled her over near the barrier of the farplane. He set her down out of the range of attack and stood there like a sentinel. Rikku was glad that her brother still cared about her because he always wanted to help Yuna instead of her and tensions between the two raised over the years.

Paine ran in from Yojimbo's back and stabbed him through the head. Pyreflies began to come to reform the wound. He brushed Paine aside with a single swipe of his arm. She was knocked into a boulder and was knocked unconscious. Only Yuna and Buddy remained to fight the seemingly unstoppable samurai phoenix.

Buddy was the only one that seemed to have any effect on Yojimbo. He lashed out at the samurai with all his might. The phoenix sword master blocked blow after blow but the electricity still transmitted into his body. He shook of electric shock after electric shock a continued his superior blocking abilities. The lighting shocks didn't seam to do much to the invulnerable Aeon just made him annoyed. He finally retaliated with his katana and smashed it into Buddy's side. His wind was knocked clear out of him by the blow. His mind started to race and go into a panic as he gasped for air. His knees buckled and he dropped to the floor.

Yuna realized she was the only one left to fight the unstoppable force of Yojimbo. She fired bullets etched with lighting from her pistols into the Aeon's head. The bullets hurtled through his head and popped out the other side dropping to the ground. Yuna backed up from the samurai and soon found herself at the rim of the suspended platform. Yojimbo slowly strode over to the defenseless gunner striking fear in her.

Yojimbo stuck his two swords out to either side and held them for a minute. Then he brought them together on the vulnerable Yuna. At the last second the blades flipped to the flat side of the swords and struck her in both sides. She collapsed to her hands and knees gasping for air. Her vision clouded over and she couldn't see a thing except the outline of the one who had struck her. Her arms and legs shook with tremendous pain and finally gave way. As soon as she hit the floor she lost consciousness.

Yojimbo walked over to the incapacitated gunner near the rim on the platform. He raised his sword above Yuna's body. Little splotches of pain shot along his back as he turned to see Brother beating upon him with his fists. The samurai grasped Brother around his neck with his cold strong fingers raising him into the air. Then he dropped him to the ground and kicked him with a muscular kick out of the barrier and down the two flights of stairs outside the farplane barrier.

A strange black hand etched in pyreflies came up over the edge and grasped onto a rock. Another of the mysterious hands shot up and grasped the same rock. It hurled it self up and revealed an entire human like figure standing near Yuna. A sword was held in a sturdy grasp in its right hand. It strolled over next to Yuna and picked up one of her pistols cast on the floor. The figure then continued to walk up behind the distracted Yojimbo.

The mysterious figure slashed with its hooked sword at the samurai's legs. Yojimbo let out a cry of pain and pivoted on his heels to face his new challenger. The pistol the figure held began to become black and shade like with pyreflies flying around it. He aimed the gun at Yojimbo's face and pulled the trigger emptying a blazing bullet into the phoenix's head. Yojimbo let out a horrific cry as the heated bullet embedded itself in his forehead.

The strange figure assaulted the wounded samurai phoenix with its shady sword. Yojimbo blocked every blow that the shady figure unleashed on him. The phoenix couldn't keep up with the figure after two minuets and began to suffer critical wounds. A slash to the torso sent Yojimbo into a frenzy as he lashed out with his katana and his massive sword. The figure evaded every stroke of the rampaging samurai with much ease. He leapt onto Yojimbo's massive sword and slid down the blade impaling Yojimbo in the eye.

Yojimbo exploded into cries of pain as the figure yanked his blade out of Yojimbo's eye and shot him in the chest. Yuna's eyes opened a bit to see the figure defeat Yojimbo in a hazy blur. '_Him?' _she thought as her eyes became heavy and her head fell to the chilled ground.

Yuna awoke the next day in a slight daze and gazed around the room. A friendly face appeared out of the fog. It was Tromell. "I'm glad to see you have awoken Lady Yuna. I found you and your friends outside the entrance to the farplane huddled up together. And your friends are still unconscious." She leaned up on an elbow and glanced around the room to see her four friends upon other beds.

Yuna got up as her vision cleared and she walked around the chamber. The harmonious melody of the musicians from Macalania woods floated gently through the chamber. She went over to each of her friends and checked on them. "Don't worry Lady Yuna they will all be alright they just need sleep." Tromell's soft voice calmed Yuna down. "I suggest you should rest too. You seam like you need it." Yuna nodded and went back to her designated bed and fell asleep as her head hit the pillow.

Yuna awoke the next morning to Rikku and Brother hovering over her. Their eyes widened in surprise and joy as Yuna's eyes slowly opened. Yuna leaned up on a shoulder and smiled a lighthearted smile to her caring friends. Paine on looked from across the room in a corner. The voices of Buddy and Tromell drifted down the quite corridor. They were speaking about something Yuna couldn't decipher she could only hear words here and there from their conversation.

Rikku and Brother helped Yuna onto her feet, she was still in a slight daze. She collapsed to her knees when she stood but quickly recovered with the aid of her friends. They helped her to the door to the corridor to exit the building. By then she shook off her dazedness and could walk on her own. They meet up with Buddy who was deep in conversation with Tromell about something no other could understand. When his friends reached him he finished conversing with Tromell and walked with his friends. They past the hall of past Guado leaders and Rikku's eyes narrowed as she glimpsed Seymour's portrait. The five companions strode out of Tromell's house after bidding him goodbye. Buddy radioed Shinra to pick them up. He came with the lumbering Celsius and lowered the rope ladder to them. They climbed up it into the hold as the airship took off into the clear blue sky.

Well hoped you liked chapter three! I'll get my next chapter up ASAP. And to all of you Legend of Dragoon fans check out my other story "Bardel's Fury". To anyone who is a D&D fan check out "The Dragon War" by lightningwizard. Also check out "2 Fallen Gods, and A Guardian Angel" by Anbu713 it's a FFX fic.


	4. Tidus' Sphere

Chapter 4: Tidus' Sphere

**Eriks leadinglady**- Hey thx for enthusiasm and I'm glad that I write battles so good for u and that's really good cuz I like to type battles, as if u couldn't tell. Yeah this chap is a bit late cuz work and school got in the way more than usual.

**Spira'sSentry**- Yo. Yeah about Shinra, if u didn't notice I took a few liberties with the story line like not having Tidus back yet and all but that doesn't matter cuz it's my fic and I can do just about what ever I want. But thx for pointing it out anyway.

The Celsius glided through the clear azure sky above the sparkling ocean to the west of Bevelle. It left small streaks of energy behind its massive engines over the radiant ocean. Seagulls flew in the calming easterly wind towards the capital of Bevelle. Their callings could be heard slightly over the incessant drone of the Celsius' engines hurtling it towards the isle of Besaid.

The Gullwings were going to see their friends on Besaid for the first time in five months. Wakka and Lulu's baby, Chappu, so named by Wakka after his late brother, was now about a year old and everyone wanted to see him again. Nothing else besides Wakka and Lulu's baby had changed much on the minute isle on the outskirts of civilization.

The Aurochs are back to playing blitzball in Luca and still hold the crystal cup. Wakka is back to playing with them in the tournaments and also on the beach. Keepa has become the impermeable goalie of blitzball over the years. Jassu is one of the best defenders there has ever been seen in the history of blitz. Bota is also one of the best defenders in the game. Letty has gotten a lot better with shooting and dribbling past the game hardened foes. Datto has also gotten a lot better with his shooting and passing and has made many a goal during the games. Wakka still leads the team with his splendid skills and with his leader qualities.

The Celsius approached the white beach of Besaid blowing the palm trees this way and that. It came to rest right above the beach and hovered there as the cargo door slid down and rested upon the warm white sand. The Aurochs were upon the beautiful white-sanded beach, practicing blitz. They turned to face the landing airship and they saw the forms of the Gullwings. They waved their hands high in the air to Yuna, Rikku and the rest. The Gullwings stepped off of the cargo platform onto the heated sand and ran off towards the Aurochs.

"Hey Yuna!" Jassu shouted as she approached.

The rest of the team encircled the Gullwings. They conversed with each other for a little while as they greeted each other. Then a familiar voice rang out over the beach. "Hey guys, shouldn't we be practicing, ya know?" Wakka began to chuckle in great surprise when the Aurochs revealed their guests. "Been a long time, ya?"

"Yeah, too long!" Rikku ran over to Wakka. "So how have you been, daddy?" She bounced in front of him.

Wakka scratched the back of his orange hair coated head. "Pretty good, ya know?" He smiled.

Yuna and the rest made their way to Wakka and Rikku before long and began to chat with them. "How has your son been Wakka?" Yuna queried.

"Well, he has been good. Right now Lu is watching him while I'm practicing with the boys. But then you guys showed up so I guess our practice will have to wait." Wakka tossed the blitzball he held over to the rest of the team. "Let's go back to the village, ya?"

The companions then continued to follow Wakka to the village over the old wooden bridge next to a glorious waterfall. When they reached the top of the hill that overlooked the village they stopped for a moment to gaze at the small village. There was nothing new about the village of Besaid except that there were a few more huts to house the new life on the isle. The companions could see people who looked to them as small specks of dirt running around the village. The palm tress that etched the outskirts of the small town waved in the cooling easterly breeze.

The companions then moved on down the side of the grassy hill to the diminutive village. Along the way they came upon a young man, no younger than Yuna, who was on his way to the beach for some blitz lessons from Wakka and the Aurochs. Wakka said that he regretted that he couldn't be there but the team was there and could teach him today. He thanked Wakka and ran on his way down to the gorgeous beach to learn how to blitz.

The friends moved onwards to the gate of the village. They entered the tranquil little town. Some of the villagers came around the group as they entered and bid them welcome. The crowd cleared around the group of friends and they continued on to Wakka and Lulu's hut. Wakka pulled back the blue door curtain and held it open for his friends to enter.

Lulu was on the couch cradling her baby boy in her arms. "Oh, hello." She said as the companions entered the hut.

"Hi Lulu. Long time no see!" Rikku bounced in and went up next to Lulu to see the one-year-old baby.

"Hello Lulu." Yuna said slowly as she walked into the clean hut.

Wakka then let the door curtain fall closed behind them. "Yeah, I was on my way to practice with the boys and these guys showed up." He began to chuckle.

"So how is he?" Paine questioned Lulu not really caring but wanted to get to the point of their arrival so they could get out of here as fast as they could because she didn't know any of them really.

Lulu gazed at Paine questioningly for a moment. "He's fine. Right now he's sleeping so let us try to be on the quiet side." She stated softly.

Rikku began to get bored since she couldn't get to play with the baby and began to pace the hut strangely. "How have you been Lulu?" Se asked out of boredom.

"I've been fine."

"Doesn't it ever get boring just staying around the house and taking care of the baby all day long and everyday?" Rikku queried.

Lulu glanced at Wakka and then at Rikku. "Well, that's what Wakka is here for." She smiled a faint smile that no one noticed except Wakka.

Rikku smiled. "I guess so. What else is he good for? I mean he just plays blitz with the boys all day right?" She placed her hands on the back of her head.

Everyone smiled except for Paine, and Wakka who was a little annoyed at that remark. "Hey! Hey! I'm trying to do the best I can, ya know? Give me a little break." His remark drew even more smiles from the group.

Yuna stepped forward. "Yeah, give him 'some' credit after all he is a friend." Yuna stated a bit sarcastically.

"All the more reason to pick on him." Paine jested from her dark corner.

"Right!" Rikku bounced up next to Wakka and put an arm around his shoulders. "We just happened to pick good old Wakka here to pick on." She released Wakka from her grasp.

Wakka was a tad annoyed that his friends were teasing him, but he had to smile. "Well, not to sound like I want to change the subject, ya know? But have you guys come across any good sphere finds lately?"

"Awwwww! Don't try to change the subject now Wakka." Rikku moaned every one let a smile creep upon his or her face.

"Yeah, we did have an interesting find outside of Zanarkand a few days ago. It contained footage of a battle in Zanarkand one thousand years ago against Bevelle. Yunalesca was in the battle and saved Zanarkand from destruction with her powers as a summoner. Then there was some more on the sphere after the battle. It was a conversation between the defeated summoner of Bevelle, which Yunalesca beat to save Zanarkand, and a soldier. It appeared that he was annoyed or even outraged that a summoner from Zanarkand could defeat him." Yuna reported their find near Zanarkand.

Wakka and Lulu had an amazed look upon their faces. "Wha…what? Yunalesca? Bevelle attacked Zanarkand?" Wakka stammered.

"So, what of the importance of this sphere? Did you find out anything about this summoner who was defeated?" Lulu asked.

Yuna looked at her friend. "No. We haven't even tried to find anything out because we got a distress signal from Tromell in Guadosalam as the sphere ended." She replied.

"I see. What was Tromell's distress?"

Rikku cut into the conversation. "Fiends were coming out of the farplane and damaging the town."

Wakka's eyes grew narrow in thought. "Just like a year ago with the temples, ya?" He glanced up at Yuna.

"Yeah."

"Then what happened?" Lulu asked as she rocked her son slowly in her arms.

"We went into the farplane and the pyreflies transformed into fiends and we fought at least a hundred. Then something else came." Yuna's voice lowered at the end of her statement.

"And what was that something else?"

"Yunie said it was an Aeon, Yojimbo, right?" Yuna nodded.

Wakka's eyebrows rose. "What? Again? How can this be happening?" He slunk down on the wall.

Paine spoke out of her corner. "It said it was summoned by its master to attack."

"Do you think this could have anything to do with this summoner you spoke of in that sphere Yuna?" Lulu queried.

"Hey! Maybe that's it!" Rikku's hyper attitude cut through the air. "Maybe the summoner is still in the farplane like Shuyin was a year ago!"

"Maybe…" Yuna paused. "Or maybe he was just acting on his own like a year ago when the fayth said 'we're no better than fiends' when they were dragged into darkness and we had to fight them on our way to fight Vegnagun." Yuna seamed depressed.

Rikku went over to her cousin. "Cheer up Yunie! It was probly just that summoner, Issark, pulling the strings. I don't think that the fayth would act like that again. Do you?"

"I…I don't know."

"Did you find anything else that you could use to try to figure out any of this?" Wakka asked in an attempt to cheer Yuna up.

"I don't think so!" Rikku stated. "Yunie?"

"Umm…I don't think so."

"We probly should get some rest and continue this tomorrow. It's getting late." Paine commented.

"Yea…yeah. I think we should get some sleep." Yuna agreed.

"I'm sorry, ya? But we don't have room for you three so you'll have to stay in the crusader's place." Wakka apologized.

"That's okay!" Rikku ran out of the hut. "Night!"

"Good night Lulu, Wakka." Yuna left the hut after her cousin. Paine followed the two cousins to the crusader's hut.

Yuna entered the small hut of the crusaders and meet with Rikku. She pointed out their three beds off in the back and ran off to her bed. Yuna followed suit to her own bed and lay down upon the comforting sheets. Paine entered soon after her friends and found her bed. The night air was calming with the sound of a light breeze rustling through the palm trees outside. Cricket chirping could be heard above the slight wind. Yuna's eyes began to grow heavy and closed the peaceful setting into her mind.

A thin film of purple fog rushed around Yuna's ankles. The purple fog was cool to the touch and made Yuna shiver. A small figure emerged from the shadowy depths of the fog. It was the fayth kid with the purple hood and the golden circle on the back of his clothes. He gazed at Yuna for a moment before speaking. "Hello Yuna." The fayth greeted her.

Yuna couldn't speak. Somehow she was unable to speak. Then words came out of her mouth. "What is going on? Where am I?"

The fayth smiled and came closer to her. "This is a dream." He stated softly. "I have come to warn you."

Yuna frowned and gazed at the fayth in wonder. "But what have you come to warn me about?" She queried as the fayth drew nearer.

The fayth spoke softly, "I am here to warn you about the evil rising up from the center of Spira." He gazed down at his feet and shook his head a bit. "An evil summoner is rising from the farplane and will attempt to destroy you."

Yuna was still in a daze from speaking with the fayth. "We…I know of this summoner…his name is Issark right? What dose he want with me?" Yuna stammered her questions to the fayth.

The fayth nodded. "Yes, Issark the summoner from Bevelle a thousand years ago. He has retaken form in the farplane and is planning his return to Spira. He has vast powers and cannot be taken lightly, he can summon every Aeon and traverse anywhere." He informed Yuna.

"But still, what dose he want with me? And why dose he want to return to Spira?" Yuna questioned the fayth.

The fayth smiled and began to fade. "All will be revealed when the time comes. For now protect yourself and your friends, you will need their support. Check the sphere Tromell Guado gave you." At this the fayth disappeared and the purple fog began to retract, leaving Yuna in a bitch black area.

"WAIT!" She hollered as the fayth disappeared, leaving her alone. A blinding light shot up enshrouding Yuan in a brilliant pallid light.

Yuna shot up in her bed, her eyes wide with terror and confusion. She wanted to scream but she couldn't she could only sit there and contemplate what her dream had revealed to her. The southing wind quieted and left the night air still and soundless. There were no more crickets chirping off in the distance and no noise from the village, just complete silence.

Yuna got out of her bed and went out side behind the hut to the wash tent. She splashed lucid water upon her warmed skin cooling her down out of her confusion. She sat down upon the small wooden bench made of driftwood in the tent and thought. She could not understand why a summoner from the past would want to kill her. She thought through all the possible explanations but none of them made any sense since she didn't know enough about this summoner. Then she remembered what the fayth had said about watching the sphere Tromell gave her. She whipped it out and gazed at it as it glowed in its vivid orange radiance.

The wavy blue lines covered the sphere but then slowly dissipated out of sight. The cascading waterfall in the farplane with the hundreds of pyreflies whizzing about it was the backdrop. A figure stood in the center of the sphere dressed in a yellow shirt with a white hood draped around its shoulders. Black shorts with different length legs and a jagged red-orange J imprinted on the right leg rested on the figure. Yuna's eyes shot open. "Tidus!" She thought aloud.

Tidus looked serious and spoke. "Yuna, if you are watching this then you have been called to Guadosalam to help against the fiend attack. Then you probably already know about the evil stirring up in here and will have to fight it. I want you to know that you are not alone in this fight. Just remember me and I will come running." Seeing Tidus again compelled Yuna to stare at the sphere.

'Well, it's a little late to know that.' She thought. 'But he did show up in time to save us from that Aeon!' Tidus' soft voice broke Yuna's thoughts.

"Yuna. I…I love you. And I want you to know that I will never stop trying to find a way to be together." Tears ran down his face as a massive shadow landed behind him and lashed out. A voice called to him. "C'mon cry baby!" Tidus turned to the sphere and reached an arm out to turn it off. "Goodbye, for now." He whispered then the sphere shut off.

A steady rain had started during the time Yuan was transfixed on the sphere. Tears streaked down her smooth face and off her chin. She held the sphere in a trembling hand as tears dripped onto it. She began to walk slowly through the pouring rain back to the crusader's hut. Memories of three years ago flashed through her mind one after another. The memory of Luca stuck into her mind and she let out a sharp whistle. She was disappointed that Tidus didn't come running to her but she knew that it wouldn't happen. She came back to the crusader's hut after strolling slowly through the torrential rain. She went back to her bed and lay down on the comforting sheets and closed her bi colored eyes, falling asleep.

Yuna awoke in a soggy mess of sheets. Her hair was stuck out this way and that. Her vision was foggy as she gazed around the room and saw that Rikku and Paine were gone. She sat up in the soggy sheets and then stood her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor. Quickly she recovered to her feet and began to stride slowly to the entrance to the hut. A frantic voice shot into the hut. "Help! Someone help!"

Yuna rushed out of the hut to gaze upon a dragon like fiend with lighting bolts gushing from its mouth cornering a villager against the wall to the outside of the village. She hurried out of the hut and shook off her daze to help the villager. She slipped her two pistols out of their leather holsters and aimed them at the massive fiend. Shots rang off through the calm morning air as the two fire propelled bullets zipped along to their target. The fiend let out a slight howl of pain as the two blazing bullets struck its rough hide.

Rikku ran out of Wakka and Lulu's hut with Paine close behind towards Yuna. "Yunie! Yunie! What's happening?" She reached her cousin and drew her two yellow and orange daggers out at the sight of the massive dragon fiend. Paine followed suit bringing her skull sword to her side as she ran.

The dragon like fiend turned to its assailers leaving the villager to dash for cover. It let out a wave of thunder blots from its massive jaws at the three friends. They ducked under the thin wave of electricity and separated. When the wave of lighting ceased Rikku leapt into the azure sky and landed upon the fiend's back. She hastily gained a foothold before the fiend went onto its back legs in an attempt to knock off its attacker. Rikku then drove her daggers into the fiend's thick hide. The daggers flung back away from the fiend almost taking Rikku off the side of the dragon's back. The hide was way too sturdy for her to penetrate with her light daggers.

A blue and white blitzball soared through the sky smacking the fiend in the face. It roared in annoyance and unleashed a breath of lighting at the location where the blitzball came. The orange haired blitzer rolled to the side evading the fiend's deadly lightning breath catching his blitzball on its way back. The fiend charged Wakka as he ended his roll and stood. He rolled to the side again. The fiend halted and brought its colossal tail into the side of the evading blitzer. He was thrown through the air like a ball and collided with the wall of the temple. He slid down the side of the wall and came to a rest on the stairs up to the temple, collapsing upon them.

An enormous splash of clear blue water smashed upon the fiend's immense head. The fiend winced in pain from the massive blast of water and let out a deep bellow. Lulu came from around the wall and cast another of the destructive water spells. The dragon fiend was now upon the ground as if begging for mercy. Lulu cast another of her spells on the defeated fiend and it moved no more.

Lulu let a faint smile appear on her black lips and then let it fade just as quick. "I just thought you might have needed me." She strode past the defeated fiend in triumph.

As Lulu passed the last inch of the fiend's body its tail came and swept Lulu's legs out from under her. She plunged to the ground and was hastily overcome by the pressure of the fiend's right leg on her body. She gasped for air as the pressure grew more and more squeezing more and more air and life out of her. Wakka rose off of the temple stairs and hurried over to his wife. He tossed his blitzball into the air at the fiend's head. It bounced off and flew back to its master with no avail to helping Lulu. Yuna fired consecutive shots etched in balls of water at the fiend's leg. It let out a holler of pain and released some of its pressure on Lulu. She took in a deep and winded breath before the pressure overtook her again.

Paine ran to the bellowing fiend and attempted to bore her skull sword into its leg but it was in vain. The blade glanced off the rock hard hide of the dragon fiend and skidded into the dirt. She raised her blade out of the dirt and attempted to slide underneath of the fiend and find a weak spot on its stomach. The fiend began to stomp around furiously with its three free legs barring Paine's strategy. She leapt up onto the fiend's back and ran onto its enormous head. She drove her blade into one of the dragon's yellow glowering eyes.

The fiend let out a horrible cry of pain and terror as Paine's blade dug deeper into its eye. The fiend began to thrash about in inconceivable pain jostling Paine from its back. It recoiled back out the gate to the village and then collapsed on the hill. Wakka went over to Lulu and lifted her up onto his shoulders and carried her back to their hut. The three friends rushed over to the incapacitated fiend and finished it off. They then returned to Wakka and Lulu's hut to check on Lulu.

Rikku entered first and ran to Wakka's side in front of Lulu. "Will she be okay Wakka?" She gazed at him with her green swirl eyes.

"I…I don't know, ya know?"

Yuna and Paine entered a moment after Rikku had. They came to stand next to their two friends in silence. Yuna then pulled out a blue tinted vial from one of her pouches around her waist. She uncorked it and made Lulu drink the warming fluid. Lulu coughed and gasped for air then settled. Yuan nodded to her friends as Lulu's eyes opened and stayed open.

"Thank…you Yuna." Lulu managed to utter. Then she fell back into a quiet rest.

"I guess we are going to stay her till she gets better." Yuna stated out of concern for her friend that she considered to be like a sister to her.

"Right!" Rikku agreed.

"You guys will still have to stay in the crusader's place, ya know?" Wakka said.

Yuna smiled at the orange haired blitz player. "I know. There's no problem Wakka."

The rest of the day was spent off scattered around the island. Yuna was chatting with Buddy, Brother, and Shinra through the comsphere for some time. Brother was complaining because she wasn't there on the Celsius with them but she said that she had to stay with Wakka and Lulu for a while. Paine spent her day leaning up against the bluish wall of the temple gazing around the village at the different people and their activities. Rikku was down on the beach with the Aurochs trying to learn how to blitz (in chapter 5 when you go to Luca she says about always wanting to lean how to blitz, for those of you who don't know). The night set in and they all met back at the crusader's hut and went to sleep in the cooling night breeze.

Well, there's chapter four for you. Hope you liked it and if u have any complaints or suggestions please tell me. As always please R&R!


	5. Bikanel

Chapter 5: Bikanel

**Rikku of the Desert**- Welcome to my story! Here's chapter 5.

**Spira'sSentry**- Thx! I might just have to add some scenes with that in it. Thx for the suggestion! If u come up with any more suggestions please tell me them. Here's chap 5!

**Eriks leadinglady**- Well I'm glad u liked the way I introduced Tidus instead of having his just appear. Well, here you are chapter five! Sorry if it's a bit late but I was gone a lot and then when I was home I had a ton of Bio Homework.

The next morning Yuna rose with the golden sun creeping over the small hills settled around the village of Besaid. There was a soft westerly breeze that made the emerald palm trees wave. Yuna brushed her honey brown hair with a multicolored brush and fixed the blue beads that flowed out of her hair. She strolled over to Wakka and Lulu's hut where a delightful aroma wafted out of the kitchen. Upon walking into the hut Yuna spotted Wakka in the kitchen cooking up some breakfast. He noticed her and said "Good morning Yuna. Did you sleep well?" He returned to his cooking still listening for her answer.

Yuna strode over to the couch and sat down on the fluffy cushions. "Yeah, I had a good night's sleep. How about you Wakka?" She tilted her gaze to her cooking friend.

Wakka stopped cooking for a moment and answered his friend. "Well, with Lu hurt I didn't get much sleep between taking care of her and taking care of my son I didn't get much sleep, ya know?" He flipped an egg in one of the many pans.

"Yeah, I guess that would take up all of your time to sleep." Yuna replied to the orange haired blitzer.

Wakka chuckled. "Yeah, but you know what the strange thing about it is? It really isn't that bad after all, ya?" Yuna smiled.

The blue hut flap flew open and Rikku stood in the doorway a second before running in. "Hey, what smells so good?" She sniffed the aroma of Wakka's cooking in the air.

Wakka let out a laugh as he turned to focus on Rikku. "Just a bit of my cooking, ya?"

Rikku rushed into the kitchen. "So, what we having?" She nosed around over and around Wakka's shoulders.

"It's just some eggs. Calm down Rikku." Wakka jested.

Rikku backed into the living room and stuck out her tongue at Wakka. Yuna just smiled a big smile at her two friends. A faint cry came from one of the back rooms of the small hut. "Gotta go check on my kid, ya?" Wakka rushed back into the room where his son's crib rested.

Rikku went at sat next to Yuna. "Wakka's turning out to be a good daddy, don't you think Yunie?"

"Sure is."

"Is Paine up yet Yunie?" Rikku queried to her cousin.

Yuna pondered the question for a moment. "I don't know. But you know Paine she's probably out and about somewhere."

The sound of footsteps came echoing down one the small hallways to the back rooms. Lulu came into the living room looking tired. Yuna and Rikku shot up from their seats to make them available for the injured Lulu. Lulu let a faint smile slide across her lips before taking the relinquished seats. She let out a long sigh as she sat upon the feathery cushions of the couch. She then continued to lay down and relax upon the couch.

"How are you two today?" Lulu questioned the two cousins as they went at sat down on the other couch.

"Great!" Rikku leapt into the air a bit.

"I'm fine but how are you doing Lulu?" Yuna asked out of concern for her friend.

Lulu coughed a few times before answering. "I'm felling better than yesterday but I still have some pain that makes me not able to walk much. But it's been okay so far, Wakka has been taking care of everything."

"Yeah! Wakka is being a good daddy!" Rikku bounced on her heels.

Yuna smiled at her friends as Wakka came in carrying his son cradled in his arms. He went into the kitchen and fixed up a bottle of warm milk for his son. In a few moments the milk was warmed and Wakka let his little son drink form the bottle. After he had sucked down the warm milk Wakka proceeded to burp him. A few minute burps could be heard drifted in from the kitchen. Wakka came out of the kitchen and rested his son next to Lulu. His son snuggled up next to his mother and closed his dark brown eyes and fell asleep.

"Isn't he so cute, ya?" Wakka questioned after he set his son down next to Lulu.

"Yup-Yup!" Rikku agreed.

"Hey, hey, keep it down he's asleep." Wakka scolded Rikku.

Rikku frowned. The blue door flap was pushed aside and a figure stood in the doorway. It was Paine. She stood there will a look that said 'get over here.' Yuna and Rikku followed the intended words out of the hut. When they left the hut Paine brought out the comsphere that Shinra had placed there a year ago. Then she went onto tell them their current situation. Turns out that Gippal wants them to come to Djose temple for a favor.

Yuna went back into Wakka and Lulu's hut to say good-bye. "Wakka, Lulu. I'm sorry but we have to go."

Rikku bounced into the hut alongside her cousin. "Yeah! Gip is calling us for a favor."

"Well, you come back anytime, ya?" Wakka bid good-bye to his friends.

'Will do!" Yuna exclaimed.

"By then I should be back to regular." Lulu commented from the couch.

"Bye bye!" Rikku waved and ran outside to Paine. Yuna soon followed suit after saying good-bye one last time to her friends she considered to be her older brother and sister.

The three companions ran out of the small village of Besaid and climbed the diminutive hill right outside the village limits. They reached the top of the hill and radioed Buddy to pick them up. The Celsius approached the hill and lowered the rope ladder to the three sphere hunters. They ascended the rope ladder and went up to the bridge from the cargo bay. As soon as they were all in the Celsius took off into the clouding sky towards Djose temple.

In about twenty-five minutes they reached their destination, Djose temple. A bunch of Al Bhed engineers were running around on the ground as the Celsius drew nearer to the ground. They scattered around the landing zone making it clear for the Celsius to land. The banner out front of the little travel agency flapped in the rushing wind the landing Celsius stirred up. Dust flew in all directions shrouding all the workers in a thin film of dust.

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine stepped off the Celsius before it took off into the sky. A figure dressed in multicolored al Bhed clothing, had blonde hair that stuck up to the back. A black eye patch covered one of his Al Bhed eyes. "Hey, just who I wanted to see!" He yelled over the roar of the Celsius' engines.

"Hello Gippal." Yuna greeted the Al Bhed machina researcher.

"Hi Gip!" Rikku shouted.

"Gippal." Paine stated slowly and quietly in her usual apathetic tone.

"Yuna, Cid's girl, Dr. P." Gippal said as he went over to the three sphere hunters.

Rikku seamed a bit touchy when Gippal called her 'Cid's girl' and stuck her tongue out at him. "I do have a name you know!"

Gippal smiled. "Yeah, I just like to see how temperamental you get." He started to chuckle but then Rikku kicked him in the shin.

"Hey! No need to get violent!" Gippal grumbled hoping up and down on one foot while rubbing his shin.

Rikku stormed off into the travel agency while the others stayed and chatted. "Why are you like that to Rikku?" Yuna queried in concern for her cousin's feelings.

Gippal just smiled then spoke. "I'm just kidding with her. I don't know why she gets so upset."

"She gets upset because you are being a jerk." Paine stated in defense of her friends. "You've always started up trouble. Even back when we were together with Baralai and Nooj."

Gippal smiled a smile that said 'let's get off this topic'. "Well, let's talk about why I called you here, okay?"

"So what did you want us to come here for Gippal?" Yuna asked the Al Bhed.

"I wanted to know if you could go to Bikanel Island to check something out for me. Nhadala called me the other day and said they found some huge machina while on an excavation. I would go of course but I can't right now because we're in the middle of some important research for a new machina." Gippal explained.

Yuna nodded. "So you want us to go in your place."

"Right. All you have to do is go to Bikanel and find out what Nhadala found and then report back here." Gippal confirmed Yuna's statement.

"Okay. We'll get right on it." Yuna strode over to the travel agency to retrieve her cousin. Paine stood with Gippal in an awkward silence.

"Well, I gotta get back in there. They need me ya know." Gippal took off towards the temple doors and went back to his research team.

Yuna found Rikku inside the travel agency inspecting a treasure chest in the back. "Rikku we're gonna go to Bikanel."

Rikku stood up and averted her eyes from the treasure chest and fixed them on Yuna. "What? Why? Is it what Gippal wanted?" She went back to studying the chest.

"Yeah, it is Rikku."

"What do we have to do for him?"

"He wants us to go and find out what Nhadala found in the desert." Yuna informed her inquisitive cousin.

Rikku stood up and spun around towards Yuna. "Why do we have to help out that big meanie?" She drew nearer to Yuna. "He's such a jerk!"

Yuna frowned. "But he's our friend Rikku. Yes, he can be a bit of a jerk but he is a nice guy at heart."

Rikku went back the inspecting the treasure chest considering Yuna's words. She carefully picked the lock on the front of chest and lifted the latch. The lid slid open with much ease revealing a small collection of items. Rikku snatched them up and put them into the pouches around her waist. She then strolled out of the travel agency with the goods she had just acquired. Yuna followed her cousin outside. They both went back onboard the Celsius and it took off towards Bikanel.

They arrived at Bikanel Island after about an hour's flight. They landed and walked out into the harsh desert air. They approached the small encampment of the Al Bhed diggers. A peddler ran up to the three sphere hunters and tried to sell his wares to them. The companions stocked up on a few potions and other healing concoctions for the expedition ahead. They met Nhadala near the back of the encampment and spoke with her about her discovery.

"We were just digging in the eastern expanse when we came across a sunken cave below the sand. We sent down a small party of scouts and they sent back data of a massive, broken, machina down in it. We didn't proceed any further with our search till we got Gippal over here but it seems he can't make it." Nhadala explained her situation to the group of sphere hunters.

"He sent us to take his place because he had too much work to do." Yuna expressed.

"I see." Nhadala stated as she called over a pilot. "Here, this pilot will take you to where we discovered the cave." The pilot greeted the three companions and then directed them to a one of the hovering vehicles.

The three companions and the pilot got up onto one of the hovering machina. The pilot started up the engine sending a lour roar through the digging encampment. The caged fan began to spin rapidly kicking sand clouds into the air of the digging camp. The vehicle rose off the ground about two feet conveying more sand into the air. The vehicle's engine quieted to a low hum and then began to skid along the coarse sand dunes.

The parched air splashed over the three sphere hunters and the pilot. Sand flew over the four travelers covering them in a slim film before being washed away from another gust of the heated air. The pilot's goggles got plastered with the tiny super heated sand barring his sight. He removed them and wiped them off with his shirtsleeve. Placing them back over his eyes they approached the outskirts of the excavation site.

The pilot halted the hovering machina and lowered it to the humid sand. He waved the three in the back that it was clear to get off. The three followed his orders and leapt off onto the cushiony sand. The pilot started the vehicle up again and took off into the distance of the blazing horizon. An Al Bhed digger ran up to the three friends as their pilot zoomed away. He directed them to the leading excavator to find out the rest of the information on the site.

As the three girls neared the lead excavator he turned from his workers and spoke with them. "Hello, so you are the ones that Gippal sent in his stead?" He studied the three girls.

"Yep!" Rikku exclaimed leaping into the air a bit. "Gip sent us here cuz he has got too much work at Djose." The excavator nodded.

"This way." He said turning towards a group of Al Bhed diggers surrounding a massive hole. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine followed hastily behind the excavator towards the excavation site. The men around the hole parted at their supervisor's advance. He ordered the men around the hole to go and obtain the winch to descend into the fissure. The men arrived a minute later with the winch and set it up on the edge of the crevice. The group then grasped the rope ladder that was attached to the winch and were lowered down into the crevice.

The air suddenly became quite cool as they descended into the murky cavern out of the fiery wind of the desert. The men standing around the perimeter of the hole seized the rope ladder and followed the sphere hunters and their foreman. A massive light was placed over the rim of the hole to illuminate their dark descent. The workers that followed Yuna and the others carried flashlights upon their waists and quickly flashed them out. The walls around them as they descended into the massive cavern were covered with trickling water.

They reached the bottom of the well and detached from the rope ladder. The lead excavator flipped out a flashlight and took the lead. The workers encircled Yuna, Rikku, and Paine with their flashlights illuminating their path. The cavern walls down here, as well as on the descent, were covered in dripping water. The floor was a moist mixture of sand and mud. Some rocks in the wall were multicolored and tarnished by the extreme dampness of the concealed cavern.

As Rikku was walking through the cavern paths stepped in a sloppy puddle of mud. 'Ewwwww!' She thought as she shook her foot. The mud was flung off of her shoe and struck one of the workers in the face. "Sorry." She apologized lowering her head. The worker said nothing but turned his head and continued walking, wiping the mud off his face.

The group continued strolling through the clammy cavern fro some time. About an hour into the trek Rikku noticed something odd. A pyrefly was drifting around the ceiling around a stalactite. "Look!" She showed Yuna and the rest the lone wandering pyrefly.

"What is a pyrefly doing down here?" Yuna queried as she strode over under where the pyrefly was in harmonious flight. "And how did it get here?" It dove down at her. She ducked under the charging pyrefly as it flew over her head and deeper into the cavern.

The chief excavator hurried them along deeper into the cavern after the pyrefly. They walked for about another hour till they came across a dead end. "What? A dead end?" Yuna complained as she felt the clammy wall.

The chief excavator scratched his head. "There was something down here yesterday." He looked dazed and confused.

The workers went over to the wall with their flashlights revealing the moss covered slimy wall. They began to touch and feel it for any sign of anything. Rikku began to follow what they were doing out of boredom, thinking that she might find something they could not. As luck would have it she found a small stone that was jutting out from the wall. She pressed upon it and it slid into the partition. The barrier slid into the wall to their right. She let out a cry of success and leapt into the air.

The group set out once again traversing through the sunken cavern. They continued deeper into the cavern until they came to a colossal open space. The flashlights could not detect anything in the vast expanse. One of the workers was carrying a rather large high-powered light and set it upon the ground on its bi pod. He flipped the switch casting a brilliant shaft of pallid light throughout the open expanse. In the center of the vastness there stood an immense machine.

The machine appeared as though it was a head of something. It had two massive demonic looking eyes. A colossal mouth with teeth grinning sat upon the middle of this machine head. A pair of massive silver colored tusks jutted out from either side of the mouth. A multicolored piano like thing sat upon the crown of the machine's skull.

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine gazed at the colossal machine head in terror. The workers and their chief gazed upon it with wide wonder. They ran over to the massive machina and began to search it all over. The three sphere hunters stood back and conversed with each other in awe.

Yuna was the first of them to speak. "What? How? Why?" She stammered. "Why is it still alive?" She glanced at the colossal machina the workers were crawling all over.

"It seems we didn't destroy all of it." Paine stated with apathy.

Rikku began to shiver with thoughts of a year ago. "How did Vegnagun survive?" She cowered behind her friends. "But it exploded, we dismantled it!"

Paine shook off her friend from her back. "It is a very powerful machina, you know? It's not that big of a deal that it's head survived."

"But…how can we be sure that it's just its head and not the whole thing?" Rikku questioned nervously.

"It can't be because it is all right here." Yuna pointed towards the base of Vegnagun showing torn and stripped wires reaching out from under it.

One of the workers had now positioned himself atop Vegnagun and plopped down into the leather chair resting near the multicolored piano like thing. He shouted something to his friends in Al Bhed a raised his hands above the keys as if he was going to play the piano. His hands lowered towards the keys as the silence broke. "No! Don't play that!" Paine shouted across the vast expanse. He could not stop his hands in time; they had already plunged upon the keys sending an echoing of cords through the cavern. "You fool." She whispered. Vegnagun's mouth opened up wide launching pyreflies into the vastness.

Rikku and Yuna let out a minute cry of horror at the sight of the pyreflies being ejected out of Vegnagun's mouth. The pyreflies soon condensed into fiends ending their melodious flights. The fiends hastily assailed the workers and their chief. The workers and chief drew out small pistols from pouches on their waists and pumped the fiends nearest to them with led. The fiends burst into pyreflies and ascended through the roof of the cavern on towards to the farplane.

Rikku, Yuna, and Paine drew out their weapons and made haste over to the battling workers. They easily cut down these weak fiends as they rushed into help the workers who had much less fighting experience then they had. A fiend was bout to rip one of the worker's head off but Yuna squeezed off a shot into the fiends brains. The worker silently thanked Yuna and returned to his target practice.

The chief was in a duel with a one eyed flying fiend colored yellow. The fiend grasped the chief's gun arm and wrenched the pistol out of his hand. The fiend cast the gun about two hundred feet off in the distance before returning to its prey. It plunged upon the chief full tilt. The chief did what he could and barely evaded the flying fiend's reckless tackle. The fiend spun around in the air after missing its target and drew its wings over its one orange eye. It pulled its wings away from its eye and to its sides with incredible force sending a beam of swirling energy at the chief. He was struck with the fiend's attack and became confused.

The chief spotted Paine drawing nearer to him. She rushed past him and leapt into the air bringing her skull sword down upon the flying fiend. It burst into pyreflies as she landed upon the murky ground. The chief ran over to her and began to punch and kick at her wildly. She dodged all his blows with ease. She then struck him in the face with a commanding blow. He collapsed to the ground and regained control over his body. Paine extended a friendly hand to him. He grasped it and was hoisted upon his sturdy feet.

One of the other workers was not so lucky as the chief. He was fighting with a wolf like fiend as it knocked his pistol away and began to maul at him relentlessly. He was knocked to the ground on his back and was wrestling the wolf fiend. He finally succeeded in knocking it off of himself. Just as he stood back onto his own two feet another fiend jumped him and buried its piecing claws into his spine. He cried out in horrid pain as he fell forward while his crimson blood gushed out his back wounds.

Rikku charged through the masses of fiends flashing her twin yellow and orange daggers into their warm flesh. She continued on towards one of the worker who was backed up into a darkening corner fighting against five fiends at once. He was lashing out at the fiends with his fists and feet but to no avail. The fiends overtook him and smashed him against the ground knocking him out cold. Rikku finally got over to the downed worker smacking the five fiends to the side with her daggers burying into their flesh. She lifted the worker's head cautiously and slipped out a blue colored vial. She popped the cork off and opened the worker's mouth. She poured the fluid into the worker's mouth and down his throat. He awoke staring into Rikku's jade swirled eyes and coughed. She helped him to his feet and found his pistol for him. He thanked her as she took off to help out Yuna.

A pocket of fiends near Vegnagun was ensnaring Yuna. Her twin pistols blazed as she circled around in an attempt to hit all the fiends possible with the heated bullets. One by one the fiends fell by the scorching bullets but there were too many to hold off easily. Rikku leapt into the circle of fiends to the aid of her cousin. Yuna and Rikku stood back to back and fought off the never-ending tide of fiends. Rikku's twin daggers slashed open many a fiends' side a drawing their purple colored blood onto the already soggy ground. Yuna fired her identical pistols into fiend after fiend's skull as they kept up their unyielding assault on the two cousins.

Paine was off on top of Vegnagun saving the worker who had stupidly played the piano like thing atop it. A large sized fiend with a very hard hide charged at Paine with its hard head. Paine stepped to the side of the charge and bored her blade into the large hard-shelled fiend. The fiend let out a cry of horrid pain as it plunged off the side of Vegnagun's head. Another fined crept itself up onto Vegnagun's head and jumped Paine. She was flung to her stomach by the leaping fiend and her sword was knocked to the very edge of Vegnagun's head. She flipped the fiend off her back into the piano seat. She hurried over to her blade just before it tumbled off the edge and grasped it as it began to flip off the edge. She then ran over to the piano like thing where the fiend was now upon its back and thrashing to get up. She drove her skull blade into the fiend's soft white stomach. It burst into pyreflies and retreated to the farplane.

Yuna and Rikku were fighting off fiends left and right with all their strength. The fiends just kept coming at them and as they cut down one fiend another would assume its place. They were being pushed back into a corner at which there would be no return. Yuna was breathing hard by this point and was losing her strength rapidly. Rikku glanced at her cousin and saw the look of exhausted on her face. Rikku fought her way over to Yuna through the never-ending tide of fiends.

Rikku was just about to reach Yuna when a fiend dove form the sky and took her in its talons. The fiend flew over the entire battlefield and took Yuna to a perch set high in the cavern. Rikku could only watch in horror as her cousin disappeared from her sight into a high recess near the cavern's ceiling. Rikku was overtaken by a small group of fiends and taken to the ground. She violently and franticly kicked and punched at the fiends to get them off of her but to no avail. One of the fiends stabbed her in the stomach. As her vision raced around the vastness of the cavern she saw no one to help her. She began to blackout, her vision reducing every second as the fiends continued to attack her as she lay helpless on the damp ground.

The chief saw the patch of fiends upon Rikku and began to fire hastily into their mist. One by one the fiends were shot off the incapacitated Al Bhed girl. The chief wadded through the tides of fiends over to the body of Rikku. He made it over to her and lifter her head carefully with his right hand. He yanked out a large bandage and placed it around Rikku's stomach wound. Then he slipped out a bluish vial and popped the cork off. He opened her lips and forced the warming liquid down her throat. She coughed at the sense of the liquid and opened her jade swirl eyes. The chief smiled at her recovery and lifted her onto his right shoulder. Then he began to wade through the masses of fiends to Vegnagun's head to meet up with Paine and his worker.

Paine saw the chief with her incapacitated friend as she slew a fiend and cast it over the side of Vegnagun's head. She ran over to the rim of the machine's head and reached an arm down to grasp Rikku. The chief handed her up to Paine and then climbed up the side himself. Somehow one of the other workers clamored up the back of the machina's head to his friends. Now there was only four left to fight the tides of fiends that splashed upon them.

Yuna awoke in a recess high up in the cavern wall. She gazed over the edge and became dizzy from the sheer height. She did not remember how she got up here but her arms were stinging with a sharp pain. She winced in pain as she crawled back into the recess away from the edge. She began to panic after she heard a shout from Vegnagun's head that sounded too much like a cry of death. She mustered up her courage and glanced over the edge to see her friends fighting atop the machina's head. Rikku was lying upon the ground with what she could see to be various wounds. She began to cry at the thought that her cousin might be dead. She could also see Paine and the three workers battling the endless flood of fiends.

Yuna thought up the idea that she could climb down the side of the cavern and make it to her friends. She then cast that idea aside when she looked down the cavern wall and realized not only was it too steep but that it was extremely slippery with condensation. She gaped around to find another way down to her friends but found none. Then a sharp screech shot through the cavern and a large bird fiend flew towards Yuna. She took the chance and when it came close enough she leapt upon its back and rode it.

The bird like fiend did a sharp barrel roll in the air in an effort to knock off its rider. Yuna clutched onto it with all her strength, which was starting to fail her again, and weathered the roll. The fiend plunged down towards Yuna's friends who were fighting gallantly. Yuna saw her chance and shot the fiend in the head with her twin blazing pistols. The fiend began to collapse to the ground and she leapt off its back and onto Vegnagun's head with her friends.

Paine greeted her friend as she fell form the sky with a slight nod. Yuna picked off a fiend that was just about to jump Paine. She nodded once more and continued fighting the masses of fiends. Yuna went over to her cousin who was lying upon the chill metal. Rikku opened a quivering jade eye to see her cousin over her and let a slight smile slip onto her lips. Rikku mustered the strength to mouth the words 'I'm fine' at that a wolf like fiend leapt onto Yuna's back knocking her to her stomach. Yuna wrestled the wolf fiend off of her back and squeezed off a scorching bullet into its skull. The fiend's body recoiled with the shot then exploded into pyreflies.

The chief was now placing explosives around the top of Vegnagun's head. He occasionally tossed a few explosives into the flood of fiends and detonated them. The ear shattering explosions that followed the explosive detonation shook the very foundation of the cavern. The orange colored flames licked the fiends as they spread out burning many fiends in the vastness of the cavern. Large smoldering craters appeared where each of the explosives had been thrown. The cavern was soon enveloped in hundreds of pyreflies fluttering around from the smoldering craters.

Paine protected the chief as he was placing and throwing his explosives. Many fiends assailed her as she fought to keep the chief from failing. Her strength was beginning to dissipate as she fought on and on against the countless fiends. At one point she tripped and fell to the cool metal with a loud thud giving fiends a chance to overwhelm her and the chief. She hastily recovered and impaled a fiend, as it was about to devour the chief. He continued to place his explosives all around atop Vegnagun's head while being protected by the warrior.

Yuna protected her incapacitated cousin with her twin pistols spewing their fiery bullets. A wasp fiend was approaching Rikku as other fiends were distracting Yuna. She quickly noted the fiend and tilted a pistol towards the wasp. A shot was fired at the fiend and split its head open as the bullet rushed pass. Yuna beat a fiend in the face with a pistol before it could snap her left arm into its dripping jaws. The fiend recoiled from the attack and charged again. Now the fiend was far enough away for Yuna to squeeze off a shot into its chest.

The chief signaled that he was out of explosives and began to fire wildy with his pistol. "You three must get out of here. We will hold them here and set off the explosives blowing them back to the farplane." He commanded the three sphere hunters to leave.

Paine and Yuna looked at the chief in wild-eyed confusion. "Just go!" He barked the order at them.

"But we can't just leave you." Yuna opposed.

The chief turned to her. "You must go. We can't risk losing you to these fiends. We are ready to give our lives for you, the protectors of Spira. Now go!" He turned away from Yuna and commanded his men to cover the three friends till they got out of the vastness.

"We cannot win this fight Yuna, we must go." Paine agreed with the chief. She went over to Rikku and placed her upon her shoulders. "Now, let's go."

Yuna still didn't want to leave the chief and the others to their fate but she had no choice. The chief and the other two workers covered Yuna and Paine as they ran out of the void in the cavern. The chief then assessed that the three sphere hunters were far enough away from him and pressed the triggering button. A deafening explosion ripped through the sunken cavern behind the three escaping companions. The orange colored flames washed over the fiends and the workers disintegrated them to nothing but ash.

The flames continued up the long tunnel to the outside desert. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine reached the rope ladder connected to the winch just before the flames reached out of the vastness the immense battle had just taken place. They grasped the ladder and held Rikku as the ladder was hoisted out of the deep hole. When they breached the surface they hurtled away from the hole and forced the workers around it to do the same. As they cleared the fissure the orange colored flames splashed out of the hole scorching the earth around in. The hole then caved in with a riotous noise and the hole disappeared only leaving sand. The workers in the dig site gazed in wide wonder as they realized that only the three girls had made it out of the cavern.

"Wha…what happened? Where's the chief?" A random worker babbled. He gazed at the three girls who had just narrowly escaped the deadly explosion.

Yuna caught her breath. "He saved our lives by giving his to set off an explosion to destroy all the fiends down there." She explained what had taken place.

The workers all looked down at the scorching sand. "Here, it looks like you've been through a lot down there. We'll take you back to the main encampment so you can get some rest." He called up a hover machina and escorted them to the main encampment where Nhadala awaited their results.

The hovering machina approached the encampment and Nhadala stepped out of a tent. She saw Yuna, Rikku, and Paine and noted the bad shape they were in. The machina stopped in its designated spot and lowered to the sandy ground. Nhadala rushed over to the machina, as did a rather large crowd of others. The worker from the dig site stepped off the vehicle and spoke with Nhadala.

"What happened to them?" She exclaimed.

The worker stood in front of her. "They went down into the cavern as you asked them to and they found that machina we saw in the scout videos. Then somehow, we aren't sure of all the details yet because they were too tired to speak, a massive number of fiends attacked them and the chief. They fought for a while against the fiends until the chief set explosives. He then continued to make these three flee and he set off the explosives destroying the fiends and himself. Then the fissure caved in." He elaborated to Nhadala.

"Oh, my." Nhadala exclaimed. "Get theses girls into the med tent."

A/N: I'm sorry once again for the delay of this chapter. I just had too much stuff to do over this past week and had no time for my story. Well, I hope you liked this chap and I'm open to any suggestions or complaints.


	6. Issark's Attack

Chapter 6: Issark's Attack

**Eriks leadinglady**- Yeah, I was thinking of making them hook up somewhere in the story. Thanks for your quick reviews and if u think my stuff is long then check out my friend's story "Two Fallen Gods, and a Guardian Angel" his chaps are now like 25-30 pages. Here's chapter six for ya! I'm really sorry for the extreme delay I kinda got really really really distracted because I got a new gaming comp so I've been playing games instead of typing and the site was down also and then it wouldn't let me upload anything.

Rikku awoke leisurely opening her swirling jade eyes. Her eyes set sights on a familiar face. It was Gippal; he came all the way to Bikanel just to check on her and her friends. 'What is he doing here?' She contemplated. As if Gippal knew what she was thinking he began to speak.

"I see your awake now. I came to check on you three after I heard what happened from Nhadala. You okay?" He had an edge of concern on his voice.

Rikku leaned up on her right elbow having the sheets slide down her wounded body. "Yeah, I guess." She winced as a flash of pain struck her elbow and she collapsed back onto the bed.

"Are you alright?" Gippal exclaimed as Rikku's golden lock shrouded head hit the pillow.

Rikku just lay there for a moment with her jade eyes closed. She then opened them to see Gippal staring at her with a look of great concern on his face. She was surprised to see that it seemed like he actually cared about her. A quaint smile passed onto her lips as she flicked her eyes fully open.

Gippal grinned in relief. "You should stay here and rest up Rikku. I'll go and see if I can get any potions for you to make your injuries heal quicker. You should go back to sleep now, I'll be here when u wake with your potions." He rushed off out the med tent flap and off into the sand.

Rikku slid her delicate eyelids closed and drifted into a sweet slumber. Her massive amount of wounds did not affect her at all anymore. She was comfortably numb to all the pain that must be assailing her body. When she awoke the sun had set on the desert island and was becoming quite cool. She gazed around the room with foggy eyes. She rubbed them with her delicate fingers trying to clear her vision. There wasn't a soul in the room, only her and some empty furniture.

"I wonder where everyone is." She thought aloud in a soft voice under her breath. She lifter her wounded body up into a sitting position on the side of the bed. She realized that no pain assailed her in the action of sitting up. She threw her legs over the side and touched the clothed floor with her toes. She then began to raise herself up, but as she did pain shot through every fiber of her being. She fell back onto the feathery bed with a stifled thud. As soon as she lay back onto the bed the pain that threw her back onto it dissipated. She gave up trying to rise after the painful event and tried to sleep again.

No sleep came to the injured Al Bhed girl. She tossed and turned in her pain wracked body causing pain to shoot up from random spots on her body. The tent flaps rustled in the soothing night wind. Rikku turned to the tent entrance expecting to see someone standing there. There was only the slight breeze rustling the sand plastered off white flaps. She let out a silent sigh and turned onto her left side. 'Why can't I sleep?' She contemplated. 'Why did I think there was someone there? Why was I hoping that there was?'

Rikku continued to toss and turn on the feathery bed for the remainder of the night. Thoughts fluttered through her mind rapidly. She thought of Yuna and Paine and wondered if they were alright. She thought of how long she would be in the condition that she was in and how she could live like this. The event at Guadosalam flooded her mind with unrelenting questions. She could not answer any of the questions that flooded her mind she could only speculate. Then through all of her thoughts and questioned there imposed a visage. She could not shake the face from her mind it lingered there haunting her thoughts. The face was that of a familiar status. It was Gippal! 'What? Why am I thinking of him?' Her jade eyes shot open and broker her concentration. The image of Gippal's face broke abruptly shattering into shards of smoke drifted out of her field of vision.

Rikku flew up into a sitting position throwing the sheets down past her feet. She flung her feet over the edge of the bed to touch the chill floor. She shot her gaze up to a level position. She was gazing into two different colored eyes, one green one blue. Yuna had her hands behind he back and was swaying a bit. Rikku gazed in amazement at her cousin. Yuna had nearly no wounds along her body left from the previous battle.

Yuna stretched an arm out to her cousin. She opened her clenched fingers revealing a small vial made of blue glass. She handed it into her cousin's trembling hands. "Here. It's a high potion." Rikku gazed at the vial a moment before she nodded her thanks and popped the cork. She lifted the blue vial to her lips and tilted it towards the sky. The clear liquid inside the vial cascaded down the inside of the vial and into her mouth. She swallowed the liquid that had become warm as it entered her mouth. The fluid made its way down her esophagus warming her from the inside out.

After she had finished the vial off Rikku gaped at her cousin with a questioning glance yet she said nothing. "Yes?" Yuna queried to her gaping cousin.

"Where's Paine?"

"She's around here somewhere. To be honest I don't know where exactly she is either. Nhadala said she saw her walk off over a dune right outside of camp but that's all." Yuna went over to sit next to her injured cousin.

"How are you today Rikku?" Yuna questioned with concern in her voice. "You were pretty beat up yesterday."

Rikku tried to shift up on the bed towards her cousin but the pain stopped her in mid move. "Owww!" She tried to face her cousin on the bed but had the same results as last time. "I can't move." She lowered her head down and touched her chest with her chin.

Yuna went to pat Rikku on the back but refrained so as not to hurt her. "It's okay Rikku. You can just rest for now we aren't in a hurry to get anywhere. By the way Gippal is around here somewhere and he said he wanted to see you as soon as you were up."

Rikku shot up a look at her cousin. "Really? He wants to see me?"

Yuna smiled and nodded. "Yep. And he wanted to say sorry for not coming back with some potions but he didn't want to disturb your sleep."

'Wow. He must really still care about me.' Rikku thought. Her dark pain wracked eyes lit up with a vivid exuberance. "Where is he?"

"I think he's somewhere right outside this tent." Yuna smiled. "I'll go get him for you." Rikku nodded her gratitude. Yuna got off the bed and walked out of the tent to fetch Gippal.

Rikku sat alone in the tent for what seemed like an hour or two but in reality it was only a few moments. 'What should I say to him? How can I know if he feels the way I do? What should I do?' There was a flapping at the tent entrance informing that someone was there.

Gippal strode across the expanse of the tent without saying a word. Rikku continued to sit up right on the bed. Gippal reached her before he spoke. "Hey. How you doing?"

"I'm fine except I can't move without pain shooting up."

"Well, it looks like you need more rest. I'll just leave you to sleep." Gippal turned to leave. He felt a feeble hand clutch to his shirt.

"No. Don't go." Rikku's voice was so soft Gippal could barely hear her. "I want to know something."

"Sure. What is it?"

Rikku looked down to the sandy floor and then up at Gippal. "I…want to know if…um…" Was all she could manage to stutter.

"Come on, what is it?" Gippal questioned, he was obviously getting annoyed at her.

She gazed at the floor for a moment. "Well…I guess I'll leave you to rest if you don't have anything to say." He turned to the door. Once again Rikku grasped his shirt preventing him from moving. "What do you want? Talk if you want to talk." An edge of anger flowed on his voice.

Rikku almost burst out crying but held her tears. "Gippal…" She gazed into Gippal's questioning eye. "I…I love you!" She blurted out lowering her head as soon as the words passed over her lips.

Gippal almost jumped through the roof with surprise. He didn't think that she still felt that way about him after so long and all they have been through. Of course he still felt that way for her but he assumed that she hated him because of the way he had treated her lately. "Rikku." She lifted her aching head to stare into his one eye. "I love you too but it just wouldn't work out. I mean that I'm working with the machine fraction at Djose and you're in the Gullwings."

Rikku's eyes began to water as she attempted to hold back her tears. "I could quit the Gullwings and come and live with you. I like working with machina so it would be a fun job. I could help you do your research and everything!" She shot up to a standing position with all the excitement and disappointment. She quickly succumbed to the pain and collapsed onto her knees.

Gippal ran to Rikku and put his arm around her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"Don't try to change the subject!"

"I'm not! ...I just wanted to know if you were alright." He calmed down after his first statement to try to get Rikku to subdue her anger. His eye met with her dual jade swirling eyes. She instantly lost all threads of anger and became serene.

Rikku opened her mouth just as a deafening explosion ripped through the campsite. The tent was torn asunder and carried away in the strong wind that followed the massive explosion. Rikku fell onto the sandy ground and coved her head with her battered arms. Gippal was knocked off balance and tumbled to the sandy floor almost landing on Rikku. The bed that was in the tent flipped along the ground until it struck one of the hover vehicles near where the tent used to be.

Out of the rising dust clouds ran a figure over to Rikku and Gippal. "Are you two alright?" Nhadala shouted as she rushed over to the two.

Gippal sat upright and put a hand to his aching head. "Yeah, but what the hell was that?"

"I don't know but all of a sudden something fell from the sky and that explosion was the result." Nhadala ran over to Rikku to help her to her feet. She grappled the injured Al Bhed around the shoulders and hoisted her to her weary feet.

"I got her Nhadala." Gippal stated taking control of Rikku's aid. He let her rest against him as they walked till they met up with Yuna and Paine.

"Are you two alright?" Yuna queried as they met up.

"I am but Rikku here is still pained by her wounds." Gippal gently rested Rikku into a sitting position on the sand. "Do either of you know what just happened?"

"Nope." A colossal shadow passed over the four and rested a few feet in front. They all gazed up into the sky shielding their eyes from the glaring sun. The thing that was in azure sky had two massive multicolored wings that jutted out from either side of its body. Its thick black scales shone bright in the dazzling sunlight. A great wheel of gold rested upon the thing's back. The wheel began to revolve violently with lightning bolts shooting out and wrapping all around the grand golden wheel.

The gigantic figure in the sky opened its massive jaws and gathered energy in front of it. The fiend flipped down to the ground and onto all four legs. Yuna gasped as the fiend gathered more and more energy around its jaws. 'Bahamut.' Bahamut opened its colossal jaws wider and dug its golden claws into the ground. Yuna and the rest of them scattered around the partially destroyed campsite. Gippal ran over to Rikku and lifted her up onto his right shoulder and then took off. Yuna ran over near the entrance to the camp and hid on the other side of a sand dune. Paine ran around Bahamut and prepared herself for the massive explosion that followed.

Bahamut unleashed the massive orb of energy that his jaws had harbored straight into the middle of the camp. The sand where the immense orb of concentrated energy hit was disintegrated on contact. The blue and gold flames emerged from the center of the blast and extended throughout the entire camp. Gippal hastily ran up and over a sand dune on the perimeter of the camp with Rikku on his right shoulder as the blast rushed over the top of the dune. Yuna was knocked to the ground on the other side of a sand dune from the sheer power of the wind formed by the blast. Paine grasped to the side of a hover vehicle as the harsh wind splashed over her.

When the clouds of dust and sand cleared Bahamut was seen standing on the edge of the crater with his arms folded across his out thrust chest. A dark figure appeared in the azure sky and descended to Bahamut's side. The figure was clad in hefty robes of green and white. The figure's visage was hidden under a thick hood protruding from the robes enshrouding him. He wielded two colossal battle axes made of ash and mithril. The dual battle axes glowed with amethyst magic wafting off them.

Yuna sprung up and peered over the sand dune she hid behind. She saw the figure standing next to Bahamut and instantly realized that she had seen him before. The figure scanned over the shattered camp for survivors. His gaze came to an abrupt halt when he saw Yuna's head peeking over a dune. Yuna hastily ducked down out of sight and was silent. The sound of footfalls came over the dune and reached Yuna's ears as they drew nearer. The footsteps halted right on the other side of the sand dune and the sound of metal clamoring together came with the halted footfalls. Yuna could feel a surge of wind and sand wash over right above her head. She gazed up and around to see the sand dune cleaved clean right above her head.

Bahamut's wings batted the air above Yuna as he flew over her and landed in the sand with a thud. Yuna spun around and scrambled up on top of the dune and ran smack into the figure with the dual axes. She was jostled to the ground and scrambled backwards crab style. She stopped as she touched a large pointed object with her back. She tilted her head back to see Bahamut standing over her. Her eyes shot wide in terror as Bahamut thrust a clawed hand towards her head. She rolled out of the way just as Bahamut's clawed hand smashed into the sand going through five feet of sand.

Bahamut wrenched his arm out of the few feet of sand and faced the distressed Yuna. He raised his massive arm again and prepared to strike the immobile former summoner. "Bahamut stop." Bahamut stops mid attack and obeys his master. The figure walked over to Yuna who was in fear for her life. He drew the thick hood away from his head revealing short platinum hair and dual scarlet eyes. "Lady Yuna, we finally meet." Yuna stared in disbelief at the man standing before her.

"Wh…who are you? And how do you know my name?" She stammered backing away from the man.

"I think you know who I am, but to refresh your memory I am Issark." Issark shifted his axes into his left hand then he held out the other for Yuna to grasp. She reluctantly took his firm hand and was hoisted up by an unseen strength.

"What do you want with me?" Yuna questioned to the summoner.

Issark smirked. "To destroy you of course, why else do you think I had my Bahamut blow up this camp?"

Yuna's eyes shot wide open and gazed into Issark's grinning ones. "Why do you want to kill me? And if you want to kill me why did you stop Bahamut from killing me and why did u just cleave the dune in two when u could have done it to me also?"

Issark strolled towards Yuna and she backed up but she found herself once again up against Bahamut. "Well, to answer your second question I didn't have Bahamut kill you because I want to do that honor myself and as for not cleaving you in two, I like a struggle." He approached her again but she could not move away anymore.

"And what about why?"

Issark smirked again. "You will find out soon enough."

Just then there was a loud ticking sounding from behind Bahamut and a voice called to Yuna. "Yunie, run!" She turned to see Rikku and Gippal running away from Bahamut. The aeon lifted his head over his left shoulder to spot a machina bomb placed upon his back. Yuna dashed away from the aeon and Issark as the bomb ticked its last ticks and exploded.

Yuna leapt over a sand dune as the flames licked the air behind her. Bahamut let out a fierce cry of pain and then dissolved into pyreflies. Issark shielded himself with his dual magic axes creating a small jade barrier around himself. Rikku and Gippal were far out of range when the bomb exploded and they hid again behind a dune. Paine met up with Yuna as she tumbled over the top of the dune.

The dust and sand cleared with Issark standing with the barrier around him. "Damn you, you Al Bhed heretics!" He shouted through the ripped apart camp.

He traced the foot steps of Rikku and Gippal to the sand dune they were behind. "Take this you heretics!" He crossed his arms and held them to his chest. Then he spread them outward and to each designated side sending a wave of purple energy hurtling towards Rikku and Gippal. The sand dune was washed off the face of Spira drawing up sand as it glided past the dune causing a slight sand storm. Little did he know but Rikku and Gippal then ran to another dune then another until they were behind him.

Issark began to perform some summoning gestures but as he was a grenade landed at his feet. He quickly kicked it away from his body as it exploded a few feet away from him. The blast interrupted his summoning as well as knocked him to the ground. He got back upon his feet and began to do the same summoning gestures. Yuna popped up from behind the dune and fired a bullet into Issark's right arm. He held his arm and cursed. A bluish radiance began to arise from his left hand healing his wound.

Paine ran around the sand dune and rushed at Issark. Her skull blade was caught by his dual axes in a firm grapple. He yanked on his axes and spun around conveying Paine's blade through the air. He raised his right axe into the air and brought it down upon her. She barely evaded the blow and tumbled along the ground away to his side. He swung his left axe to his side smashing her in the torso with the blunt side of the axe. She fell to her side and clutched her aching stomach. He strode up to her and began conjuring up a spell.

The spell was interrupted by another gun shot to the arm. Issark cursed once again and healed the wound. This enabled Paine to regain her composure and fling out a leg tripping the summoner. He hastily leapt to his feet and brought his axes along the ground in Paine's direction. She stood and stepped on the axes with her foot. This action stopped the momentum of the dual axes. Issark then pulled his axes up and launched Paine into the air. She was helplessly falling down towards the summoner whose axes were poised to swipe her from the sky. He swung his axes as she drew into range. He missed. He gazed up to see Paine still in the sky and coming down towards him in a dropkick stance. Her foot connected with his face and he was buried into the sand from all the momentum.

Issark lay in the sand for a few moment before he began another summon. Paine was off retrieving her sword and Yuna was behind the sand dune so no one noticed his actions. Paine turned back to Issark that was half lodged in the sand to see he was summoning. She rushed over to impale him with her blade but she was too late. Three glyphs appeared on the sand. In the sky three different colored streaks flew through the air towards where the glyphs were. They crashed into the glyphs and a flower shot up from each glyph. The petals unfolded to reveal the Magus Sisters.

Sandy stopped Paine in her tracks with her Razzia attack. Two streaks of crimson colored energy flowed across the sand towards Paine. She was struck with both of the waves of energy and fell backwards. Sandy then followed up her Razzia attack with a charge at the downed warrior. Paine hastily shot back upon her feet and prepared herself for Sandy's charge. Sandy went ballistic with her two daggers flashing all over the place striking Paine many a time. Paine finally landed a blow on the swift aeon causing her to fall back away from the warrior.

Cindy did her camisade attack against Yuna blowing her up over the dune. Yuna rolled on the sand as she hit the ground and squeezed off a few shots at the aeon. The bullets reflected off of Cindy's tough shell and dug themselves into the sand. The aeon then ran over to Yuna and leapt into the air above her. Yuna quickly rolled to the right to evade Cindy's massive belly flop. Cindy pushed herself out of the sand and charged at Yuna again. This time she cast a blizzara spell at the gunner. Yuna was struck by the spell and was instantly frozen ion place.

Mindy flew over to Sandy who was having a hard time with Paine by now. She aimed her stinger at the warrior and did her passado attack. The shots struck Paine knocking her off balance. Sandy did Razzia again sending the twin trails of crimson toward the injured warrior. Paine couldn't evade the attack this time either and was blasted by the full brunt of the attack. She cried out in pain while Sandy strode over to her to finish her.

Sandy was about to finish off Paine just as a grenade went of behind her sending her flying over Paine. Mindy flew into the sky and sought out the owner of the grenade. She spotted Rikku and Gippal huddled behind a sand dune and aimed her stinger at them. She opened fire on the couple striking them with many shots. Gippal shielded Rikku from the attack causing him to hunch over in pain. Rikku had no choice but to act but she wasn't sure if her body would let her. She rested Gippal up against the dune and spotted her daggers laying twenty feet away from them. She decided to make a break for it and took off towards her daggers.

Mindy spotted Rikku's actions and prepared a thundaga spell. She unleashed the spell at the running Al Bhed. The bolt missed Rikku as she continued to run to her daggers. Rikku grasped her twin daggers causing pain to shoot up from her fingers. She let out a silent cry of pain and continued with her mission. Mindy conjured up another spell but this time it was firaga. The aeon sent the spell hurtling toward the injured Al Bhed with great force. Rikku flipped her blades together in a shielding position and prepared for the blow. The spell struck the daggers and diminished on the spot. The twin orange and yellow daggers suddenly became scolding hot and burnt Rikku's already injured hands. She dropped them hastily and blew on her hands. Mindy then conjured up another spell. She fired the wataga spell at Rikku and it instantly engulfed her in water. Her hand began to steam from the water and she felt them burn with immense pain.

Gippal opened his eye to see Rikku engulfed in the wataga spell. He franticly searched around for some type of weapon to fight the aeon with. He scanned the destroyed camp site for any weapon at all. He then noted Rikku's daggers set in the sand. He rushed over to them and grasped their hilts. He felt his hands burn from the slightest touch. He yanked his hands away and tore off his sleeves and wrapped them around his hands. He then grasped the twin daggers with ease. He went over to Rikku and slashed the water bubble around her. The bubble popped and Rikku fell to the ground gasping for air. Gippal put a comforting arm around her shoulders and then stood to fight the insect aeon.

Yuna was hastily thawed out of the ice from the blistering heat of the desert. She regained her composure and found Cindy lumbering over to her. She drew up her dual pistols and clicked on the flame strike ability. She fired the flame encrusted bullets as Cindy's plump head. The aeon let out a cry of anguish as the flaming bullets stuck into her pudgy face. Yuna took this opportunity and dashed off behind the pained aeon. Yuna activated a dresssphere and became enshrouded in whirls of gold, pink and white. A massive sword cut through the brilliant radiance around Yuna. She emerged in her samurai ensemble wielding the gigantic hooked sword with flames etched near the hilt and at the start of the hook.

Cindy pivoted on her heels to see Yuna's new transformation and let out a silent cry of terror. Yuna rushed up to Cindy dragging her massive samurai sword along side her. She brought it up as soon as she was in range of Cindy and cleaved the aeon in two. The two parts of Cindy's plump body slid away from each other and collapsed to the sand. A fait blue aura began to drift around Cindy's right hand. Instantly the aura engulfed her body and glowed even brighter. Yuna covered her eyes from the blinding aura of azure. The glow dissipated and Yuna removed her hands from her eyes to see Cindy standing there in one piece. Yuna let out a gasp of horror to see that the aeon had mended her self with a healing spell.

Sandy and Paine were locked in tight combat with their blades. Sandy could not overpower Paine nor could Paine overcome Sandy's strength. They stood with their blades locked for some time before Paine acted. She drew her blade out from the tight lock it was trapped in and bashed it into Sandy's stomach. The aeon grappled her stomach and plunged to the ground gasping for air. Paine smirked and drove her skull sword straight into Sandy's torso. She let out a sharp cry of pain as pyreflies began to leak out of the massive gauge Paine had left in her torso.

Cindy heard her sister's cry and lumbered over to her completely ignoring Yuna. She cast a healing spell on Sandy and then she also cast not so mighty guard. Sandy rose to her nimble feet and thanked Cindy. She then took off after Paine who was flocking the opposite direction to make time for a strategy. Sandy kept up in the pursuit and was soon upon the fleeing warrior. She started off with a Razzia attack that took out both of Paine's legs. She tripped face first into the coarse sand. Her legs felt like they were being sawed at with dull blades.

Mindy and Gippal began to face off. Mindy used her passado attack pelting Gippal with tons of the small orbs. Gippal shook off each attack as he rushed towards the insect aeon. He leapt into the air at the soaring aeon and landed two quick blows before plunging back down to the ground. Mindy plummeted down to about two feet off the ground from Gippal's attack. Gippal hit the coarse sand while spinning around to push off to charge against Mindy. He charged at his top speed towards the hovering aeon. Mindy had no time to react and was caught off guard by Gippal's unrelenting charge. He flashed the twin daggers into the aeon's flesh carving out large gauges and splattering blood on the sand causing it to clot.

Mindy lashed out at Gippal after his ingenious attack with her stinger. He ducked and weaved to evade the deadly aeon's stinger. He got in close enough to strike Mindy but she realized this and spun around knocking Gippal to the ground with her abdomen. She poised her stinger above the fallen Al Bhed. Gippal opened his eye and saw the deadly stinger poised above his head. He tumbled to the side as Mindy brought down her stinger. The stinger buried itself into the dense sand where Gippal's head once was. She let out a cry of frustration as the stinger was dislodged from the sand.

Yuna charged Cindy with her immense samurai sword trailing along the ground. Cindy raised a hand and cast the not so mighty guard spell on herself. Yuna did not halt her charge on the large aeon but continued to pick up her speed. When Cindy was less than ten feet away Yuna raised her sword to point straight out from her and to Cindy's chest. Cindy only stood there awaiting Yuna's feeble attempt at an attack. The gap between the two narrowed with every passing second.

Yuna kept her blade extended and held it with to firm hands as it plunged into Cindy's barrier. Sparks of blue and yellow jumped out from where the blade and the barrier met. The sparks landed all around the two and scorched the sand. Yuna could feel herself being pushed back by an explainable force but she kept up the struggle. She could feel her feet slipping through the sand away from the barrier shrouded aeon. Then a rock imposed giving her something to push off of to regain control of her body. She pushed off the rock with all her might and felt herself moving slightly forward. She took control of her body and pressed on with all her might she could muster. The sparks continued to fall but now they were more violent and more in number.

Sandy stood over the injured Paine who was still grasping her legs in intense pain. They still felt like they were being sawed off with dull and rusted blades. She tried to get upon her feet but she collapsed at merely getting upon her knees. Sandy placed a firm foot atop Paine's head and pressed down. Paine's head slowly descended into the sand causing her to coke on the coarse grains. Sandy pushed her foot against Paine's head even more so than before submerging it deeper into the sand. Paine's mind began to race and cry out of oxygen as her head was completely submerged into the sand.

Gippal rushed Mindy again to catch her off guard as she tended to her aching stinger. He succeeded in catching her off guard and landed two swift blows to her head. She tumbled to the ground from Gippal's momentum with dual gashes on the right side of her head. Gippal charged the injured aeon with all his momentum then he leapt into the air. Mindy had no time to evade Gippal's sky dive attack and was caught by his blades. He came down upon her with the twin daggers out in front of him facing downwards. The dual daggers plunged into Mindy's supple chest and burst out the other side splattering blood on the sand below. Out of Mindy's wounds leaked pyreflies into the azure sky and then they disappeared out of sight.

Mindy lay helpless on the ground wallowing in pain and a puddle of her own blood. Gippal approached the dying aeon to deal the finishing blow. He outstretched his arms out behind him and went into a leaning forward position. He pulled his arms together as fast as he could, making them pass over one another. A slim trail of crimson blood shot along the sand in the direction Gippal had slashed. A distinct line appeared across Mindy's neck. Her head began to slip away from her body as it fell backwards while her head fell forward. Pyreflies immediately began spewing out of the dissolving body.

The barrier that was barring Yuna's sword from impaling Cindy held fast against Yuna's relentless assault. She could not muster the strength to break on through to the other side of the barrier. The point where the barrier and Yuna's samurai sword met continued to spew sparks upon the desert ground. The barrier was showing no sign of giving in the slightest bit but Yuna's strength was fleeing her body every second. She could feel herself slipping away from the barrier again and felt a sense of helplessness wash over her.

The barrier held fast pushing Yuna farther and farther away from her target. As Yuna was sliding along the sand she stumbled over a squat cactus sending her on her back. Her sword flung around in the air. It continued to revolve in the air with its own momentum above Yuna's head. Yuna could not move an inch, she was paralyzed with shock. The blade tumbled down from the azure sky upon her head. She closed her eyes tightly and prayed that the sword would miss her somehow. When she didn't feel the pain of the massive sword plunging into her flesh she peeked open an eye. Sure enough the blade had missed her head and landed only two inches from her head severing a small lock of hair from it.

Cindy dispersed her shield and approached Yuna who was still stuck in shock and horror. Yuna regained her composure at the mere sight of the lumbering aeon. She immediately shot up onto her feet and grasped the hilt of her samurai sword. Cindy continued to hobble towards the distressed samurai slowly. Yuna lifted her colossal sword to find that it was way too heavy for her weakened body. It fell into the sand right in front of Cindy allowing the aeon to traverse the gap between her and the samurai.

Gippal returned Rikku who was now sitting upright in the sand. "Here." He held out her orange and yellow daggers. Rikku gazed into Gippal's eye and smiled. She then stretched her arms out and took the twin daggers. "Can you stand?"

Rikku got onto her knees and then continued to push herself up onto her feet. "Yep." She went over to Gippal and embraced him. "How about you? Are you hurt?"

"Not in the least." Rikku gazed over his shoulder as the continued their embrace. She spotted Yuna about to be assailed by Cindy and she saw Paine with her head completely buried in the sand with Sandy's foot on it.

"We got to help them Gip!" She broke the embrace and ran after Yuna. "I'll help Yunie and you help Paine!" She shouted as she rushed to her cousin's aid.

Gippal stood fixed in position for a moment. Realizing he had no weapon to aid his friends he scanned the area for anything that could be used. He soon spotted a metal rod jutting out from the sand not to far from where he was standing. He ran over to it and grasped it with both of his hands. He heaved upon it but it didn't budge. He tried again and it slipped lose. Pulling it up in triumph he noted that the end that was buried in the sand had a jagged edge on it. Content with his weapon he took off towards Sandy to rescue Paine from suffocation.

Rikku dragged her pained body to close the gap between her and her cousin. Cindy noted the charging Al Bhed and hastily shifted her focus onto Rikku. Rikku continued to advance on the aeon and her weakened cousin. She attempted to leap at Cindy but a vicious pain shot up through her legs preventing her from her aerial attack. The pain was so intense that she tripped onto the sand face first just feet away from Cindy. Rikku pushed herself back upon her hands and feet and kicked off the ground to quickly accelerate. She lifter herself up to a bowing run with her daggers out at her sides.

Gippal rushed up behind Sandy while she still held Paine's head submerged in the sand with her foot. She didn't notice the Al Bhed quickly approaching from behind with a spear like weapon. He thrust out the spear like pole into Sandy's back along her spine. She let out a terrible cry of horror and pain as the spear pierced through her body and burst out her abdomen showering the sand in front of her with her crimson blood. Her blood began to bubble out of her mouth and left streaks of crimson all down her body. She collapsed onto the sand next to Paine in a curled up ball. Her body began to shimmer on the ground as pyreflies began to race out of it. She completely dissolved in a matter of seconds reliving the group of friends of an aeon.

Cindy raised her pudgy hands in front of her and began to chant a spell. Rikku acted before Cindy got the chance to activate her spell. She went for the aeon's legs. Her dual daggers impaled the aeon's thick legs and splattered trace amounts of blood onto the sand. She collapsed to the ground as Rikku yanked out her daggers with a twist after she hauled them up through Cindy's leg. Cindy rolled onto her back and tried to grasp her injured legs but it was in vain. Her large body prevented her from reaching her legs to heal them.

Gippal gripped Paine's shoulders and wrenched her head out of the sand. He propped up her head in his right hand while the rest of her body lay on the ground. She was still breathing but very slightly so he decided to make her drink a potion. He rifled around in his various pouched and pockets till he located a potion. He popped the cork on the top of the blue crystal vial. Then opened her tightly pressed lips and placed the vial on her bottom lip. He tilted the vial back releasing the healing liquid into her mouth. She coughed as the liquid passed down her esophagus sending the familiar warm sensation throughout her body.

Paine's crimson colored eyes fluttered open to see Gippal tending to her. "How do you feel Dr. P?" He gazed into her suffocated eyes.

Breathing hard she responded. "I'm fine."

"I think you should just rest here. I'll go and help out Yuna and Rikku." He began to run off towards the battle with Cindy but Paine called to him.

"Wait." She got up onto her feet warily and strolled over to her skull blade lodged in the sand. "I'm coming with." Gippal shrugged in agreement and continued on towards Rikku and Yuna with Paine following at his heels.

Yuna was upon the ground when Gippal and Paine got to her and Rikku. Cindy was still upon the ground on her back swaying back and forth to get up. Rikku was tending to Yuna's weakness giving her potions and comforting her as Gippal and Paine approached. Cindy finally managed to muster the strength and pain tolerance to stand once again. Gippal shot out his spear right into her chest but it was easily glanced away by her thick shell. She grasped the spear shaft and wrenched it out of Gippal's grip. She turned the weapon upon him and bore down upon him with a hasty and strong blow.

Gippal barely evaded the spear thrust and ran around behind the assaulting aeon. He grasped a handful of sand and ran back around to Cindy's front. He dashed the sand into her eyes causing blindness. She stomped furiously and covered her eyes with her hands, dropping the spear in the commotion. Gippal gripped the spear shaft and drew it up into both hands and poised it to impale Cindy. He thrust it out towards her but she uncovered her eyes and grasped the spear in mid flight. Gippal however was ready for her actions and shifted the spear head into her chest. She was pulling the spear towards her and Gippal's momentum caused the spear to pierce her thick shell. She let out a howl of pain as the spear sunk deeper and deeper into her supple flesh beneath the rough outer shell. Pyreflies began to drip out of the massive wound and Cindy's body began to shimmer. Seconds later her body was completely dissolved into pyreflies.

The friends all took a few moments to rest after their ordeal. They all popped corks off of potion vials and drank the warm healing fluids. Rikku gazed her jade eyes around the desolate former camp site. Then out of nowhere she realized something. "Hey guys, where's Issark?" The group of friends surveyed the camp site but could not find a single trace of Issark.

"Yeah, where did he go?" Yuna gazed around confused.



Issark strode up to a very old looking wooden door. He approached the door and put his right hand around the knob. As he touched the knob an eerie voice came through the door. "Come in Issark." Issark finishes the rest of his actions opening the old wooden door. He entered into a dark and dank room. The room housed a few shelves with miscellaneous books and papers stacked on them. An oak desk sat on the opposite side of the room from the door and where Issark was standing. Sitting at the oak desk was a figure cloaked in a dark blue cloak. Two red eyes pierced the darkness shrouding the figure's visage.

"I trust you have killed the one I informed you to." An eerie soft voice came from the depths of the cloak.

Issark did not meet the gaze of the twin crimson eyes; rather he glanced away from them the whole time. "Um…I could not kill the one you wanted." He was reluctant to speak the truth.

"I see." The figure stood up and strolled around the oak desk. "So, you failed me Issark." The figure grasped Issark's collar and raised him into the air. "I do not like failure. Remember I made it so you could live again and I can kill you."

"I will not fail you again. Please master let me go." He pleaded.

"Very well." He set Issark down on his own two feet. "But remember if you fail again your going back." The figure went back to sitting at the oak desk. Issark nodded and left the room through the antique door.

The figure sat there for moments after Issark left contemplating how he could have lost to her. 'I suppose she has gotten even more powerful than before. And she has the strength of her friends with her which they have also increased. If Issark cannot defeat her then I will just use him as a decoy until I can utilize my plan.' The figure got up and opened the antique door and left the musty room.


	7. Shape Shifter

Chapter 7: Shape Shifter

**The Beauty of Simplicity**- Thx for the review, I'm really glad u liked it. I always love to get a new reviewer and it makes my day and it also motivated me to write more. Anyway, welcome to the story and hope you like the rest!

**Eriks leadinglady**- Thx for your enthusiasm and your reviews. I think I'm going to reveal who is behind this some time in the next few or so chapters.

Rikku awoke the next morning on the Celsius to find Gippal missing. She hurriedly gazed about the empty cabin to search for him or anyone else, but found no one. She popped upright into a sitting position and flipped the sheets off her body. She bounced up onto her feet and bounded off into the shower and turned on the hot water. The warm water felt heavenly on here cut and aching body as it cascaded down to her feet. After the refreshing shower she strolled over to her dresser and pulled out some fresh clothes. The fresh clothes felt so wonderfully comfortable after being in the same, sand encrusted clothes for the past two days.

After showering and changing her clothes, Rikku, bounded off through the echoing corridor to the elevator. The elevator lurched and then began to rise in its casual way to the bridge. The elevator came to a halt in front of the door to the bridge. She exited the elevator's platform and onto the metal floor in front of the door causing it to swoosh open. She raced down the corridor to the bridge, footsteps echoing the entire way. The door separating the corridor and the bridge swung open revealing her friend's faces welcoming her, except for Yuna.

"Hey. Where's Yunie?" Rikku questioned as she greeted Paine.

"She's up on the deck." Paine emotionlessly gestured above them.

Rikku spun back around and took off down the echoing corridor to the elevator. The doors flung open as she neared each one and passed through them. She got onto the elevator and rode it to the deck where Yuna was standing in the gentle breeze of the morning. She looked as if she were very troubled and was pondering about a great many things. Rikku leisurely strolled up to her cousin and stood right behind her. Yuna turned her head around to see the happy, energetic face of her cousin as her body followed her head's movement.

"I see you're finally up." Yuna said jokingly as she let a slight smile pass her lips.

Rikku couldn't help but smile back at her warm hearted cousin. "Yup." The two cousins stood there for another moment before Rikku questioned Yuna. "What ya doing up here anyways?"

"Nothing much."

"Is it about Issark?" Rikku asked innocently. Yuna lower her head to her chest and placed her hands behind her back and swayed a bit as if she didn't want to answer. "It's okay. We don't have to talk about it." As her words passed over her lips Brother's voice crackled over the loudspeaker.

"Rikku. Yuna. Come to the bridge right away."

The two cousins broke free from each other's gaze and took off to the elevator. They descended on the metal elevator to the sliding doors to the bridge. They passed through the two doors and entered the bridge, each of them leaping off of the railing to the middle of the bridge with their right hands. Brother stood in front of the sphere in the heart of the bridge and Buddy stood next to him. Shinra was still sitting at his computer console typing away with something. Paine was in front of Buddy but gazed off at the two cousins as they entered the room.

Rikku and Yuna came to a halt in front of their friends. "What's up?" Rikku questioned all present in the bridge.

Brother began to speak but Buddy cut him off. "We got a call from Kimahri which said that there is something strange going on up at the fayth scar. And you know with Ronsos, they don't go up there so he calls upon you to go check it out." Buddy explained the entire situation to Rikku and Yuna.

"So what are we waiting for? Kimahri is counting on us! Let's get going to Mt. Gagazet!" Rikku's upbeat, energetic voice echoed through everyone's ears as well as the entire ship.

"Affirmative." Buddy hoped back into his seat and typed in some coordinates as Brother took his seat at the helm. Shinra never left his computer monitors or keyboard out of his sight the entire time his friends conversed or during the flight to Gagazet.

They arrived at Mt. Gagazet in a matter of a few moments. The puffy white clouds surrounding the fayth scar were torn asunder as the Celsius descended to the cliff side. The cargo bay door slid down with the figures of Yuna, Rikku, and Paine upon it. The Celsius edged closer and closer to the side of the fayth scar where it was accessible to deliver Yuna, Rikku and Paine onto the mountain side.

When the Celsius drew close enough to the fayth scar the three sphere hunters leapt off onto it from the cargo bay. All three landed softly on the dusty sloping trail that runs the entire length of the fayth scar. As soon as they began to trek down the long dusted trail they were ambushed by a pack of white fangs. The three friends cut down the small pack of four white fangs fairly easily and continued on with their trek down the trail.

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine continued up the trail of the fayth scar for about another hour or so. They climbed up the insanely steep cliffs that led to a small, now broken off, rock formation that overlooked a hot spring. They continued past this formation and continued to climb up the jagged slope of the scar. Their traveling made them come upon a ledge where the wind accelerated to an unearthly speed. They forced themselves up each of the ledges where the wind attempted to bar their path.

At one point in their climbs Rikku questioned if they should turn back but Yuna and Paine pushed her on. They continued to ascend the impassible labyrinth of ledges mixed with the incredibly strong wind. Yuna leapt up and grasped a rock on the ledge above her that made her hover a few feet above the previous ledge she was on. There was a sharp cracking and the rock Yuna was grasping broke loose of the ledge and tumbled down at her. Yuna tumbled down after the rock and tried to grasp a hold on the ledge below her but it was all in vain. Rikku, who was brining up the rear, noted that her cousin was plummeting towards her and reached out an arm to catch her. Rikku's outstretched hand caught hold of Yuna's pink hood which caused the young Al Bhed the be pulled down with the momentum of the fall. Luckily she got a foothold on the ledge below her and held onto her cousin for her life. Yuna was slammed into the cliff side from the abrupt halt and was almost knocked unconscious.

Rikku finally got Yuna up onto the ledge, they were both breathing hard. "Yunie, are you okay?" Rikku panted from her overexertion.

Yuna was doubled over trying to catch her breath form her near death experience. "Yeah…just a little spooked." Yuna stood back up to a normal stance and gestured to being their ascent again.

They finally reach a spot where the wind was noticeably less that all the others. There was a cave concealed on the left side of the rock shelf. "Hey look!" Rikku pointed out the cave. "Wanna take a look?" Before either of her friends could answer she took off into the cavern.

"She's hopeless." Paine mocked Rikku's excitable personality.

Yuna followed her cousin into the damp cavern calling to her. "Rikku! Wait up! We don't know what's in there!" Paine soon followed her two friends into the cavern being the only one of the three that wasn't blindly running around.

Paine followed the echoing steps of her two friends down a incredibly constricted and damp passageway. Her running came to an abrupt halt when she bumped into something solid. It was Yuna. She was just standing there in awe right behind her cousin who was doing the same thing. Paine gazed into a small open area that was dimly lit with the few shards of sun light that managed to pass through the narrow passageway. The few shards that did make it into the room through the passageway revealed a horrific sight.

The three friends gaped into the room for a long time. There were five Ronso bodies that had been terribly mutilated. Limbs all crooked and bloody, bones jutting out from the limbs and a few from the bodies chests. One of the bodies was decapitated with its head, all bloody, only a foot away from where Rikku was standing. She stepped back as she realized the decapitated head near her feet, falling into Yuna. Crimson blood was splattered all over the walls and the ceiling some in long trails in one direction and others in massive puddles. A long streak of blood led through another passage to the right of the chamber where it looked like a bleeding body was being drug.

Yuna was the first one to break the terrifying silence. "Wha…what has happened here?" She continued to gaze around the blood soaked room in bewilderment.

"It seems like someone or something wants the Ronsos dead." Paine gave out a theory. "I'd have to say someone judging from the style of their deaths it looks like a professional did it not some random fiend."

Rikku broke her gaze from the slaughter and looked at her friends. "But…who would want to kill the Ronsos?" The three of them pondered on her question for quite some time.

"Well, it couldn't be the Guado; they have suppressed their hatred of the Ronso." Yuna broke one thought of who could have done it.

"I thought the Ronsos never came up here anyway. They said it was sacred ground right?" Rikku queried. "So why were these Ronso up here?"

Paine strolled past her two friends and stared at one of the Ronso bodies. "This one was no ordinary law biding Ronso. Doesn't he look familiar to you?" Rikku and Yuna turned to gaze at the body Paine spoke of and sure enough they recognized it, somehow, through all the carnage.

"Hey, isn't that Garik?" Rikku pointed out.

Yuna though about the assumption for about a minute before she answered. "Yeah, it dose look like him."

"That still doesn't explain why he and his guys were up here." Rikku scratched her head as if looking for the answer.

"That's simple." Paine glanced to Rikku and then the bodied and then back to Rikku. "He and his flunkies don't follow all the rules that the others follow. As to exactly why he is up here he was either seeking solitude from the rest of the Ronsos, except his flunkies, or he was lured up here."

"But what or who could lure him up here?" Yuna queried Paine.

"I don't know." Paine admitted. A short moan came from the passage with the blood trail leading into it.

All three of the friends turned and gazed down the blood streaked passageway from which the moan came. "Wha…wha…what…was that?" Rikku was getting creped out by her surroundings and then the noise made it worse.

"Only one way to find out." Paine began to stride off into the blood soaked passageway. Yuna followed suit as did Rikku, not wanting to be left alone in the bloody chamber.

When the three friends entered another room at the end of the second passageway they saw the form of an injured person. As they drew nearer they realized that it was a Guado that was covered in wounds head to toe. The three of them shot questioning glances to one another at the sight of the lone Guado. The injured Guado noticed the three sphere hunters as they entered the room and stared at him. He gazed up at them which caused Rikku to jump back at the sudden movement. His gaze was one of pain and pleading. Yuna rifled through one of her pouches and produced a blue vial for which she handed it to the injured Guado. He took it, thanking her with a friendly nod and uncorking the vial and gulping it down. "Thank you." He finally spoke.

"No problem." Yuna accepted the thanks.

"What are you doing up here?" Rikku broke the gaze between Yuna and the Guado.

The Guado stood up. "Alas, I was lured here by those brutes out there while I was traveling to sight see at Zanarkand."

Paine stepped forward. "I was under the influence that Guado do not travel around anymore due to the fact the former Maester Seymour was evil and corrupt."

The Guado chuckled and smirked evilly. "My you are a smart little girl. You're right Guado don't travel around anymore but you see…" He began to glow. "I am no Guado." With those last words passing from his mouth the vibrant light around him began to radiate astronomical light, temporarily blinding the sphere hunters.

When the light settled to a dim glow a figure stepped out from it. He had long, pointy brown hair with a crimson band wrapped around his skull. His left arm was clad in grey metal plating that stretched the entire length of his arm. He was adorn with several scars all over his body and had a large 'J' like tattoo planted on his chest. Black shorts with one longer side that was colored orange and then faded to crimson rested around his knees. In his right fist he grasped a massive sword with a taped up hilt and an arrow head shape at the tip of the blade.

"Si…sir…Jecht?" Yuna questioned the newly formed figure that appeared to be her father's guardian.

Jecht smirked and let out a malevolence laugh. "Wrong again! Aren't we a smart bunch?" The figure managed to speak through his laughter. "But, I am using his body for I will not reveal mine for some time, that is if u live long enough!" He drew up his massive sword and lunged at Yuna. She dodged the massive blade as it bore itself into the cavern wall behind her from Jecht's sheer strength.

Paine took out her skull blade and attempted to impale the man pretending to be Jecht. Instead he released his sword from his grasp and evaded the blow Paine made. Then he grasped the hilt with both of his muscular hands and wrenched his blade out of the moist cavern wall. He broadsided Paine with his blade knocking her into a rock formation at the back of the room. He rushed over to the incapacitated warrior and poised his blade above her head. A sharp, but not strong tug came from the chain attached near the hilt of his blade. He whirled around to see Rikku grasping the other end of the chain. He ginned. "Troublesome Al Bhed girl." He then continued on to toss his blade behind him with a muscular arm. Rikku was still gripping to the other end of the chain and was carried across the room by the momentum of the sword. She slammed into the wall, barely evading the blade from being lodged into her spine.

Paine swept a sturdy leg out at Jecht and swept his legs out from under him. He collapsed to the chill floor and cursed. Quickly recovering, he took a boxing stance and began to send blow after blow from his muscular legs and arms at the warrior. At first she was able to elude the blows made by Jecht but as a small portion of time passed he picked up the speed at which his blows were carried through the air. A blow landed on her right cheek then her left and then she felt the wind rush out of her as a knee was brought up into her stomach. She wanted to collapse to the ground but Jecht wouldn't allow it he continued to assail to warrior with a multitude of kicks and punches each inflicting major damages to Paine's body. Finally he let her collapse to the ground after barraging her for two minutes of constant blows that would put any normal person into a coma.

Jecht bounced on his feet as if ready for more, much more, as he felt chill metal touch the back of his head, parting his brown hair. "Ah, now you're getting smarter." He leapt onto his hands and propelled himself back at Yuna with all his strength. His feet landed on her stomach instantly knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying into the wall behind her. Jecht stood back to full height half expecting someone to jump right on him but none of the three girls did. "Now you're getting boring! I thought you were stronger than this." He complained as he continued to bounce on his feet, throwing punches at the air.

Rikku looked up at the man resembling Jecht and muttered something under her breath. He must have heard her because he focused on her. "Now that's not a nice thing to say little girl." Rikku flipped out and snatched up the blade beside her and rushed Jecht. She brought it up over her head as she continued towards him. He just stood there, calm as ever, and smirked. She brought the blade down upon his head with all the force she could muster and closed her eyes. When she didn't feel the blade smack the floor she opened an eye and then shot open the other in surprised horror.

Jecht had caught the blade between his hands. "I'll be taking that back!" He wrenched it out or Rikku's hands dragging her forward at him. "Thanks for giving me my sword back. Now I can finish you off with it." He brought the blade up to rest above Rikku's neck and waited. He was never the type to just end something, he always wanted a challenge or at least some entertainment from watching others suffer so he never brought his massive sword down on Rikku's neck. Instead he began to stride away from the trembling Al Bhed girl when she got back up and attacked the former guardian. "I suppose you're not done then?" He spun around at the exact time to catch her twin daggers in the holes on his blade. He knocked her dual orange and yellow blades off to the side and prepared for an attack. "Be gone you bothersome little girl!" He thrust his blade right into her gut drawing gasps of pain from within her. She felt the chilled tip of the blade leisurely sink deeper and deeper into her stomach.

Then Rikku could fell a slight tingle on the skin on her stomach as a faint blue light erupted from her bellybutton. The blade was forced back out of the Al Bhed girl's stomach with a quick burst. Jecht almost tumbled backwards from the sudden ejection. 'What is this?' he though as he tripped over his own feet sending him tumbling backwards. 'She may pose more trouble than I thought.' His head struck the earth and he let out a silent curse. His blade was shot through the air and shattered upon the wall into thousands of tiny shards.

Rikku collapsed to her knees after almost being impaled and caught her breath. Jecht got back up onto his feet and gazed at the Al Bhed girl in wide eyed wonder. 'Hmmm. I wonder what made that magical barrier.' He contemplated as he continued to stare at the girl. 'No matter. I'll bring it down!' He assumed a boxing position again and began to unload his fists of fury upon the magical shield surrounding Rikku. All his blows were glanced off and soon he gave up with that approach. He rifled through a pouch he had strung up on his waist. His face light up as he griped the object he was looking for. 'I didn't want to use this but she leaves me no choice.' He slipped on something that looked like brass knuckled on his right hand and held something small and circular in the other.

Rikku did not move from her collapsed position as the former guardian approached her. He poised his right fist back and ready to punch while gripping the smooth item in his left. The brass knuckle like thing began to glow with a turquoise glow. "This will shatter your little barrier!" He flung his fist forward at the barrier surrounding Rikku and struck it. At first his blow just stuck to the barrier and sprayed sparks throughout the room. Then he applied more and more pressure and the barrier gave way to the awesome might of the magical item mixed with Jecht's strength. He took his left hand and brought it down towards Rikku's head making sure the object in it would make first contact. As it moved closer and closer to her head he braced himself for what he knew was to come. This item would make Rikku's head get blown clean off and devour her soul.

His hand was almost upon Rikku's golden locks when a gunshot rang through the ears of everyone present as well as throughout the cave. Jecht felt a sharp pain shoot through his left hand as he dropped the trinket he had been harboring. A bullet whole remained in the center of his palm as crimson blood trickled out of the fresh wound. 'Well, she saved me from doing that inhumane thing to the other girl. No matter how much I enjoy killing I never get any satisfaction with that object but instead I get an immoral feeling. I don't know why.' He pondered as the blood dripped from his palm onto the cavern floor.

The next bullet Yuna fired went straight for Jecht's head but he dodged it with ease. She then continued to fire increasingly more rapid shots as he began ducking and weaving in and out of each bullets trajectory. He never once got the chance to get up close to Yuna as she never let up her bombardments of bullets. He took another bullet to his right leg but shrugged it off and continued to dodge the constant bullets. After a few moments of this constant bombardment Yuna's guns began to overheat and malfunction. Jecht saw his chance and leapt upon her with gorilla like force.

Jecht pinned Yuna to the ground and wrapped his right hand around her slender neck. He began to apply pressure to her neck cutting off her oxygen supply almost instantaneously. She tried to kick and thrash around but she couldn't budge under the pressure of Jecht on top of her. She opened her mouth to let out a shrill scream but only silence passed out of her open mouth. With the oxygen cut off from her brain she began to breathe hard and her eyes blinked with darkness.

Rikku regained her composure to see Yuna having the life chocked out of her ever so slowly. Her eyes went ablaze with rage and concern for her cousin. She acquired her twin daggers and rushed straight for Jecht's head. The man caught a glance of the oncoming attack and stuck out his left hand to bar her path. She came sliding to a halt as the former guardian flung Yuna in front of him as a human shield. He moved closer to Rikku still holding out the suffocating Yuna. Then without warning he thrust out his left hand and clenched Rikku's throat as well. He lifted the two girls into the air and laughed manically as he continued to slowly drain the life out of each of the girls.

A deep throated growl came from the entrance to the cave. 'Wonder who that could be.' Jecht thought as he tossed the two cousins onto the ground and strode out into the blood soaked room where the Ronsos were slaughtered. In the doorway stood a blue blur with a severed horn atop its head. "Ah, I see you have come to see what has happened to your friends as well as your kinsman Ronso elder Kimahri." Jecht smirked as Kimahri let out an angered roar. "Now that won't get you anywhere except an early grave because that is annoying the hell out of me."

He rushed the Ronso elder like a trained martial artist. Kimahri let fly a devastating blow into the man's gut sending him soaring through the air and slamming into one of the mutilated corpses. "You have disgraced Kimahri's people. You have disturbed our sacred place. And you have hurt Kimahri's friends. Now you too will be hurt!" Kimahri rushed forward at the former guardian as he dusted himself off. Kimahri bashed into Jecht's ribs causing some of them to crack and split with a sickening sound. He let out a small cry of pain that was masked over with a smirk. He gripped the Ronso's half of a horn and yanked on it till the Ronso elder dropped him from pain. He let out another of his angered roars and drop kicked the man in the face.

Jecht flew back into a wall about twenty feet back or so. The blow struck with so much force that dust and rocks began to plummet from the ceiling but then clearing up. He popped back up onto his feet and went into his usual boxing stance and waved for Kimahri to 'bring it'. The Ronso elder obliged his request and charged full speed at the taunting fighter. Jecht snatched up a rock the size of a kickball and kicked it at the charging Kimahri. The rock surprisingly bounced off of Kimahri, causing him to stumble in his charge, and flew back to Jecht. He then continued with a punch to the rock sending it hurtling back at the Ronso. Once again it bounced off his fur and back to fighter. As it flew back to him, Jecht leapt up into the air and sun around causing him to flip upside down. He then kicked the rock at Kimahri once more, this time sending the Ronso elder back up against a wall. Jecht landed as he finished up his flips and spins on his knees and one hand in a cool manner.

"Ha! The mighty Ronso elder Kimahri, guardian of Yuna, the defeater of Sin and you were brought down with one meager move. You really have grown soft in the past three years." The man impersonating Jecht laughed at the pathetic Ronso elder. "I guess I'll just have to finish you off here and now." He drew out a small pink pill and slipped it under Kimahri's tongue forcing him to swallow the pill. He then began to stroll back into the room where Yuna, Rikku, and Paine were to finish them off as well when he felt something clutch his shoulders and squeeze.

Kimahri had risen and grasped the feeble human body in his massive Ronso muscles. "I see you want to have some more fun." Jecht grinned as a wave of pain and nausea washed over Kimahri depleting his strength instantly. "Foolish Ronso. Even one of you race can't withstand the poison I introduced into your system. Now leave me be to destroy your three friends." He kicked the collapsing Ronso in the chest sending him onto his back. Then he continued on through the blood soaked passageway back to where Yuna, Rikku, and Paine lay unconscious.

Jecht reached the room where the three sphere hunters lay unconscious and he took up Paine's skull blade in a sturdy hand. He tossed it back and forth between his two hands as if amused by the way it was forged. He poised it above Paine's chest ready to plunge it into her still warm flesh when suddenly a voice rang through his head. '_There is a problem with the prisoner, get back here immediately. Don't worry about those three we can deal with them latter._' He silently responded to the order and dropped the sword to the ground causing a clamoring to echo throughout the cavern. Paine lifter her weary head to see the man impersonating Jecht rifle through a pouch and produce an orange sphere. He noted Paine's conscious state and threw the sphere at her temple, knocking her out cold on impact. He then began to glow as he did a few fancy hand motions and then disappeared into thin air leaving the three girls and the Ronso unconscious in the cavern.

Several hours later Kimahri awoke in the dreary cavern he was knocked out in. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with a pawed hand. He suddenly remembered Yuna and the others were hurt, if not dead in the other room. Then he noticed that he was not dead. For surely the poison should have killed him or maybe it wasn't a deadly poison after all or maybe just maybe his body was able to fight it off. Either way he strolled into the back room of the cavern to find his three fiends still sprawled out over the floor but not severely injured. He hoisted each of his friends one by one onto his broad shoulders and carried them back out of the cavern and back down the mountain trail.

Yuna's eyes leisurely slid open to gaze upon a huddle of Ronso children standing around her gazing in wide wonder. Their eyes lit up as her bi colored eyes meet theirs and they began to shout and holler to the grownup Ronsos. "She's awake elder!" One of the Ronso children managed to squeal out of the excitement of the moment.

Sure enough as the child spoke Kimahri slowly strode over to where Yuna lay on the slightly chilled bare ground. "Kimahri glad to see Yuna okay." Yuna couldn't help but smile at her old friend and protector.

"I'm glad to see you too Kimahri." Yuna managed to muster enough of her strength to stand up. Gazing around she posed Kimahri a question. "Where are Rikku and Paine? Are they alright?" She began to panic as she remembered the torture they went through up in the cave in the fayth scar. "And when did you come in to save us? I thought you guys weren't allowed up there because it's a sacred place."

"Kimahri worried about Yuna and her friends so Kimahri went to check on them." Kimahri answered flatly.

"And what about Rikku and Paine? Are the alright?" Yuna's voice was breaking up with panic as it seemed like Kimahri was evading the question somehow.

"Rikku, Paine over there." He gestured with a clawed finger to where sure enough the figures of her two friends passed out on the ground were surrounded by a few Ronso tending to their visible wounds.

"Kimahri surprised to see Sir Jecht in sacred part of Mountain." Kimahri struck up some conversation between him and the one he had protected for ten years.

Yuna stopped in her tracts as she was making her way over to her two unconscious friends and turned to face her lovable former guardian. "That wasn't Sir Jecht Kimahri. It was just a projection of him someone used instead of his real form. We still don't know who the man was or why he came and killed those Ronsos up there and then attacked us but one thing is for sure he must have something to do with that summoner Issark that is out to get me." Yuna explained the entire situation she was in to Kimahri.

"Kimahri worried for Yuna. Kimahri doesn't want anything to happen to Yuna."

"Thank you Kimahri." She smiled and gave the Ronso elder a great big friendly hug. "It frightens me about all these people after me but to know that I have the help of my friends makes the situation less nerve-wracking." She smiled up at her big friend.

"Kimahri happy that he can help Yuna." Kimahri started to walk away from Yuna but quickly turned back to her. "Yuna should rest. Follow." He lead her up into a little alcove where there stood a bed of soft cloth. He gestured for her to lay down and rest. She complied with his actions and went to sleep.

When Yuna opened her eyes again after falling asleep in the bed Kimahri showed her to she found Rikku staring at her. Her twin jade swirl eyes shot open in excitement when she saw Yuna awaken. "Good morning Yunie!" Rikku greeted her waking cousin.

"Good morning Rikku." She glanced around the alcove for signs of Paine but she was nowhere to be found. "Where did Paine go?"

"She's just off on her own like usual." Rikku answered as Yuna sat up in bed. She then threw the covers off of herself and sung her smooth legs over the side and stood up. She then began to walk off without saying a word to Rikku. "Where you going Yunie?"

Yuna turned around to meet her cousin's glance. "Just going to check on Paine." And with that she strolled off in search of her friend of solitude. She looked up the mountain trail that led up into the high cliffs of the mountain. Paine was standing near the grave of a former summoner leaning her back against the wall and staring out into the vast clouded sky.

As Yuna approached her friend she threw something at her. "Here!" A small orange colored sphere zipped through the air towards her. "It's for you." Yuna cradled the sphere in both hands as it landed into her palms. "Take a look. It's something you need to see." Yuna shot a questioning glance at her friend before obeying and flipping the sphere on.

A figure was shackled to the moss covered wall with thick rusty chains. A dark cloaked figured stood five feet from the figure shackled to the wall with another man standing beside him. Yuna recognized the man beside the cloaked one. It was Issark. He snapped his fingers and several torches around the room flared up revealing the identity of the shackled figure. Yuna's eyes shot side with terror and surprise. It was Tidus. Tidus was a prisoner of Issark and whoever else the cloaked man figure was.

"Go ahead little boy." Issark urged Tidus to speak. "Talk to her you worthless rat." His voice was sharpened with anger and threat.

Tidus lifted his head that now felt like a ton of bricks up level with the center of the sphere. "No…no, I can't." Issark walked over to the imprisoned Tidus and spoke.

"If you don't you know what I will do to you."

Tidus lowered his head and then brought it back up suddenly with a great jerk. "No! I won't let you do anything to her!" Issark ginned a bit and then struck Tidus in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"Now let's try this again. And no screw ups." Issark threatened Tidus with his dual colossal axes.

"No matter what you threaten me with or what you do to me will make me get her here." Tidus' defiant voice rung through Yuna's ears.

Issark took up his right axe and brought it down upon Tidus but before it sank into his flesh an outstretched hand from the cloaked man stopped it. "Issark stop this madness. We need him alive or did you forget that?" The man took the axe from Issark. "Now, lady Yuna…"He turned to face the sphere. "If you ever want to see your lover boy again then you will come to the farplane immediately." The figure's voice was shrill and cold.

"No Yuna don't! It's a trap!" Tidus rattled his bindings wildly but was silenced as Issark kneed him in the stomach. The sphere went blank after that.

Yuna let the sphere plummet to the snow covered earth and dropped to her knees. She couldn't believe that Tidus was really alive and that he was being held captive by Issark and what appeared to be his master. She began to sob a muffled sob as Rikku approached her from the back.

Rikku noticed her cousin's sobs. "What's wrong Yunie?" She rushed over to her cousin's side.

Yuna looked up at Rikku, crystal tears streaked her face. "Tidus is alive and he is being held hostage by Issark and another guy in the farplane and they want me to come there if I ever want to see him again." Yuna began to cry even more after envisioning the sphere events again.

Rikku rubbed Yuna's back to try to calm her down but to no avail. "Yunie it's gonna be all right. All we have to do is go into the farplane and beat up Issark again and rescue Tidus."

"I'm not worried about Issark Rikku. I'm more worried about the other person who had control over Issark in the sphere recording."

"C'mon Yunie. He shouldn't be too hard after all we did defeat Yu Yevon and then Vegnagun. How much stronger could this guy possibly be than they were?" Rikku said in an attempt to cheer Yuna up.

"I…I…I just don't know. I got this strange feeling when I saw him on the sphere, a feeling of terror towards an immense power." Yuna elaborated on her feelings of the cloaked man.

"Yu Yevon was a god right? Can a person be more powerful than a god?" Rikku queried once again trying to comfort Yuna.

"If he is a stronger god." Paine interjected.

"Hey! Stay outta this!" Rikku shot an annoyed look at Paine as she went back to the wall.

"I…I know what to do." Yuna choked clearly through her sobs. "We must go to the farplane and rescue Tidus."

"Now that's the kind of thinking I like!" Rikku leapt up from her kneeling position and wrapped an arm around Yuna's shoulders.

Kimahri strolled up to see what all the commotion was. "Is Yuna and Rikku alright?"

"Yeah Kimahri." Yuna said. "We are gonna leave now. Thanks for everything Kimahri!" She gave the Ronso one last hug before she radioed Buddy.

"What can I do ya for?" Buddy queried.

"We need to get to Guadosalam right away." Yuna spoke into the communicator to Buddy.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in this chapter but I got addicted to Half Life 2 online multiplayer for a few days so I didn't work on this at all till yesterday except for like a page or two before that. Anyway, I hope you like the story development in this chapter with the addition of yet another unknown character. Can't wait to get your review!


	8. Deception, Soul Gathering, and Betrayal

Chapter 8: Deception, Soul Gathering, and Betrayal

**Eriks leadinglady**- I'm glad to see that you actually review and fast too. My other reviews died or something. This chapter was delayed so much due to the fact that I only had you to motivate me and I got distracted too much by playing computer games with my friends and then I went camping this past weekend, which took up that time that I would usually write and also this chap is almost, if not two times longer than most of my other longer chaps. Anyway here's the next chap for ya.

The Celsius hovered in overhead cutting through the thin wisps of white clouds that sheltered Mt. Gagazet. The Celsius descended down to the pathway where Yuna, Rikku, and Paine were awaiting its arrival while lowering the rope ladder it had used so many times before. Rikku was the first one to grasp hold of the ladder and start the ascent up the twenty foot rope ladder. Paine was the second one up onto the ladder a minute after Rikku hurried up it. Yuna hesitated to ascend the ladder to the ship she knew would carry her towards Tidus and the danger that was involved in seeing him again.

Yuna walked over to Kimahri once again. "Thank you Kimahri for everything once again but I have to go now." She turned from the Ronso elder and headed for the Celsius.

"Kimahri wishes Yuna luck." Yuna spun around and smiled at her old friend and former guardian.

"Thanks Kimahri." She continued back to the ladder dangling from the bottom of the Celsius and climbed halfway up it. She and Rikku waved good bye to Kimahri as did he. Then when they were out of sight of their Ronso friend they continued the rest of the way up the rope ladder and into the Celsius.

In the cabin Yuna and Rikku sat on beds opposite to one another and chatted. "So, Rikku..." Yuna gazed up into her cousin's jade swirl eyes. "…any idea of how that magical barrier came up and saved you?" Yuna's bi-colored eyes were filled with wonder.

Rikku pondered her cousin's question before she remembered what happened. "You know, I don't have any idea but it was like someone or something wanted me to stay alive because I'm sure I didn't do anything." Rikku rubbed her chin in a pondering like way.

"Well, whatever it was it saved you Rikku and for that I'm thankful." Yuna began to cry softly. "When I saw him stab you I though you were a goner and I would never get to see you again." Yuna began to shake at the mere remembrance of thinking that her cousin was about to die.

Rikku moved over and sat beside Yuna. "Yunie, I'm still here no reason to cry." Rikku's attempt to cheer her cousin up once again was foiled. "Thinking on the past doesn't help anybody out Yunie. You gotta stay focused on what we're doing now and that is rescuing Tidus." Her words seemed to calm Yuna down a bit this time.

"You're right Rikku." She stood up wiping tears from her eyes. "We gotta go rescue Tidus now." Yuna turned to her cousin. "Let's go."

"Right!" Rikku agreed as she leapt up off the bed and bounded after her cousin down the stairs and off to the elevator down the corridor. The elevator lurched and began its ascent to the bridge where their friends were waiting on the arrival at Guadosalam.

As the chilled metal elevator hurtled towards the bridge an alarm sounded and Brother's voice rang over the intercom. "Yuna, Rikku, we have fiends in the engine room." His voice was cut off as the intercom went dead. Rikku and Yuna glanced at each other in curiosity.

"How did fiends get on the ship Yunie?" Rikku queried to her just as clueless cousin.

"I don't know Rikku." Yuna stated bluntly as she went over to the control console and began to type in the commands to go to the engine room. "But we got to go down there and get rid of 'em." The elevator came to a sharp halt and then lurched again as it began its descent into the engine room.

The twin metal doors shielding the elevator from the engine room sung open with a slight swoosh. There were no fiends in sight or any damage to the engine or the room from what the two cousins could tell. A dark shadow moved upon the lighter ones in a quick stalking method. The two cousins were oblivious to the fact that many fiends surrounded them hidden in the shadows cast by the engine. Then all at once the fiends leapt out at their unsuspecting prey claws and teeth out thrust at the two girls.

Rikku was toppled over by a large lizard like fiend which hastily leapt off her and spun around on the ground. A rather large wasp fiend poised its stinger into an attack position behind and above the unsuspecting Al Bhed girl. Rikku pencil rolled to her left as the stinger from the great wasp fiend buried itself into the metal holes of the walkway. The agile lizard came back for another quick attack at its prey but was quickly tossed aside as Yuna shot the fiend in the temple just a foot in front of Rikku. The fiend bounced up into a wall before bursting into pyreflies that continued on with their ascent to the farplane. The wasp fiend managed to free itself form the metal hole prison right as the lizard was blown against the wall. It hovered behind Rikku and prepared fro its attack when Rikku noticed it and spun around with a dagger in hand at the blade. She tossed the dagger into the fiend's diminutive head and watched it plummet to the floor.

A flan fiend plopped itself right down in front of Yuna as she disposed of yet another lizard fiend with her dual blazing pistols. The fiend jiggled up and down a bit before a cluster of ice bolts shot at Yuna. She barely evaded the ice bolts as they zipped past her head and the rest of her body. One of the ice bolts did manage to scrape her right leg but it was only a mere flesh wound and she continued on fighting. She fired off a dozen shots into the ice flan but the bullets either just passed through its jello like body or were completely submerged in it and rested peacefully in it.

Yuna decided it was time for a new plan of action and evaded another of the flan's ice spells. 'So it can't be affected by physical attacks.' She thought as she contemplated on a new course of action. 'Yes, I'll use my black mage dresssphere and use fira on it.' As the words passed through her head, she withdrew the black mage dresssphere and underwent the transformation to a black mage.

With her newly acquired magical skills along with a rather large witch like hat she began to cast a spell. A ball of intense flame began to form in front of the black mage as she prepared to cut the ice flan down. The fiend unleashed another barrage of ice bolts at Yuna but they were melted on impact with the red orange ball of flame shielding Yuna from any frontward attack. When she had gathered all power possible she unleashed the fira spell right into the ice flan. The fiend let out a squealed of pain as the super heated flames smashed into its body. Its body began to hastily drip away as the flame ball proceeded through the fiend and to the other side. The fiend's body, what was left of it, burst into pyreflies right after Yuna's immense spell passed through it.

Rikku retrieved her dagger from the ground where the fiend dissolved into pyreflies. As she gripped the hilt and dragged it up into a fighting stance a rounded, triangular fiend with two yellow slits for eyes descended behind her. She whirled around to see the fiend charge up a magical attack. She hurried to close the gap between her and the fiend but she wasn't fast enough. A bolt of lightening came crashing down upon her paralyzing her on the spot. She collapsed to the ground still paralyzed from the flash of lightening the fiend struck her with. The fiend charged up for another lightening strike when a voice could be heard casting its own spell. The fiend was engulfed in a crystal ball of water that burst slamming the fiend into the ground. Rikku mustered up enough strength to get upon her feet and rushed over to the incapacitated fiend and impaled it with her dual yellow and orange daggers.

As the triangular fiend burst into pyreflies a deep throated growl came from within the depths of the shadows. A torma then leapt out from the depths of the shadows surrounding the engine at Yuna. The black mage was caught off guard and knocked to the ground in surprise. The fiend clawed relentlessly at Yuna with its razor sharp claws and pressured its head down closer to her throat. Yuna struggled to keep the torma's fangs from sinking into her flesh as she also deflected away many a swipe from its razor like claws.

The sound of doors opening caught Yuna's attention as she battled for her life against the unrelenting fiend. The sound of metal flashing into flesh sounded next sending a tiny spray of blood over Yuna's head. The fiend lay limp upon her before quickly bursting into pyreflies. "Thought you might need some help." Paine stood above Yuna wiping the trace amounts of crimson blood off her skull blade.

Yuna just smiled. "Thank you Paine." A thick shelled komodo dragon like fiend crept up on the warrior that had saved Yuna from the torma. Paine swung around and in one fluid movement she flipped her blade around in her hands and decapitated the fiend sending it into pyreflies immediately.

A specter etched with blue-white smoke around it creped out of the shadows that engulfed the engine on the unsuspected thief. Rikku let out a silent scream when she finally saw the specter creeping up on her and froze up in terror. The specter edged closer and closer to the young Al Bhed girl while she stood there gawking in fear. Yuna and Paine shot warnings at their friend as the ghastly fiend neared her but she didn't budge. Yuna charged up a lightening bolt as the specter was only a foot away from her cousin. She raised her hand and dropped the bolt of lightening upon the specter's head distracting him from his prey.

Paine charged the ghost fiend with her skull blade dragging along side her in the usual fashion. She leapt up into the air only three feet away from the specter and brought her blade down upon its misty head. Her blade slipped right through the specter's nonexistent flesh and dug itself into the metal floor with Paine's momentum. The fiend turned to fully face Paine and raised a finger leisurely apparently casting some sort of spell. A petite figure adorned with a blue-black and an odd white and red mask appeared out of thin air in front of Paine. It revealed one of its arms to be harboring a set of large steel claws fused with its arm with a black mist gently cascading to envelop the ground with the same mist.

The miniature figure swung its clawed arm at Paine with unimaginable speed; she was barely able to duck under the massive swing. She attempted to impale the figure with her blade but when she pressed the blade through its flesh it made no contact with anything, only air. Paine cursed as the figure then followed her feeble attempt to slay it with a counter attack using its clawed arm. The blow scrapped Paine in the back, tearing little slits into the black leather she was clad in and drawing trace amounts of blood.

While Paine was fighting the losing battle against the demonic figure Yuna was over trying to snap Rikku out of the trance the specter had placed on her. She succeeded in freeing her cousin from the fiend's fearsome grip and helped her to her feet. The two cousins gazed upon their friend as she battle the minute figure in the white and red mask and saw that she desperately need help. Rikku rifled through her various pouches and produced the white mage dresssphere she owned. She underwent the transformation into a white mage as Paine took another scrape to the stomach.

Once her transformation was completed Rikku rushed to her battling friend and stood beside her. She placed her hands up in front of her face into a prayer gesture and then began to glow with a pallid light. The vivid pallid light intensified with each passing second causing the demonic figure to shield its eyes from the intense vibrant radiance. Rikku then continued her prayer by pushing her hands out flat towards the minute floating figure. Out of her hands came a burst of highly concentrated holy energy concentrated right on the figure. The holy magic washed over the minute, demonic figure causing it to give out a shrill cry of pain as it writhed in the holy energy. When the flash of holy magic disappeared the floating figure was nowhere in sight, it had been completely disintegrated out of existence.

Rikku preformed the same spell to disband the ghastly fiend that had only moments before paralyzed her with fear. As the three friends caught their breath after the small squabble a light snickering came from within the depths of the shadows around the engine. A woman emerged from the shadows with a false smile spread across her sapphire colored lips. What appeared to be ice etched upon the left side of her face overlapping her left eye but not closing it off. Her blue hair cascade down a little past her waistline with golden ribbons braiding it the entire length. At the end of each braid of cerulean hair was a steel circle looped through each braid. A bikini top with a snow flake imprinted on it and a sheet of ice covering her left breast stretched across her chest. A swimsuit bottom rested on her thighs with a half dress like Yuna's stretched the length of her right leg.

Rikku leaned up to whisper in Yuna's ear. "What's an aeon doing here Yunie?" She slowly pulled herself away from her cousin's ear after her words over her lips.

"I have no idea." Yuna admitted to her cousin.

"Hey, maybe Issark came to pay us a little visit." Paine jested although it was apparent that that would be the most likely reason. Shiva let another smile pass upon her sapphire lips as she raised her right arm into the air. She slowly guided her had down towards where the three friends stood. They could hear the air above them being sliced as an object plummeted to the earth hastily. "Move!" Paine commanded as a large clump ice shattered upon the ground where they had just stood.

Yuna was the closest to the goddess of ice and began to conjure up a massive fire spell. Shiva noted the spell Yuna was preparing and unleaded a spell of her own. The colossal sphere of water hurtled towards Yuna and her ball of fire. When the immense water ball collided with the fire orb Yuna was conjuring a wall of steam shot in all directions from the center of the collision. Yuna braced herself as a wave of excruciatingly hot steam splashed over her body. Rikku leapt back away from the hastily vanishing steam as Shiva just stood in the midst of it all.

Paine took up her skull blade and charged the goddess of ice. Her blade was a foot away from impaling Shiva through the chest when a wall of ice randomly appeared between the warrior and the ice aeon. The blade ricocheted off the wall and dragger Paine back about five feet almost toppling her over. She regained her balance and prepared for another charge at Shiva. Paine signaled Yuna to conjure up a fiaga spell and launch it when she was about to hit the barrier. Yuna nodded in agreement and began to prepare the spell.

Paine took up her skull blade once more and charged wildly at the goddess of ice. As Paine drew closer and closer Yuna got more and more ready to unleash the spell she was harboring. Paine leapt into the air drawing a smirk from the seemingly arrogant aeon. As Paine began to plummet down upon the ice barrier Yuna called out, "Fiaga!" and hurtled the fire spell at the barrier of ice at the point where Paine would fall. The ice melted away rather hastily leaving a large gap where the falling warrior could get a clean shot at the aeon. Paine fell right through that hole and took a cleaving blow at Shiva. She just raised a hand and as the blade rushed towards it ice shot out of her left hand and froze the blade in mid air.

Paine yanked on the hilt with all her might but she couldn't free it from its icy prison. She couldn't call upon Yuna to use a spell to free her sword fore it might melt the very thing she was trying to get freed. The warrior had only one choice to make either run away or go hand to hand with the ice goddess. She chose the second option being the serious fighter that she is and began hand to hand combat with the aeon.

The first fist Paine flung at Shiva landed gently in the palm of her hand. Paine felt a surge of cold and pain shoot up through her hand and then into her arm. Shiva had clutched her fist and was crushing it with her mighty aeon powers and then freezing it over with her magic. As her right hand was locked with the aeon's left she lashed out with her own left. This time she struck the aeon in the face causing her to blurt out something incoherent and then yank Paine close to her via their gripped fists. As Paine came flying towards her, Shiva punched her in the gut with a commanding blow that knocked the wind out of her. As Paine was falling back from the blow Shiva tugged on her arm once again and drew her back to the ice goddess. Shiva brought a knee up into Paine's face almost snapping her nose. The ice goddess released her grip on Paine's right fist and let her plummet to the ground with the momentum conveyed by her last blow.

Rikku focused all of her magical energy possible into one holy attack and fired it at Shiva. The ice goddess pivoted on her heels to see the holy spell hurtle at her. She tried to evade the massive concentration of energy but was caught in the blast anyway. The searing pain that overtook her was like a living hell. Every nerve ending in her body burned with an intense pain that one would only envision as the pain of roasting in the fires of hell. Her eyes began to blink with darkness as the pain overtook her mind, shutting it down. She collapsed to her right knee and right elbow as she began to glow symbolizing her defeat.

A sudden rush of cooling warmth splashed throughout her body as she felt the severe burning pain subside. A voice crept into her head. '_Don't fail again. I can't keep you alive easily from this distance_.' Shiva understood and began a full scale attack on the one who had just injured her.

Rikku's jade swirling eyes shot open in horror as Shiva immerged unscathed from her massive blast of holy energy. She was also exhausted from using all her magical energy into one attack and couldn't cast another spell of the same of greater magnitude. She decided that she should use a different dresssphere since she had no magical energy left in her body. She contemplated on which to choose. 'Gunner? No. Thief? I might have enough speed but not enough power. Ah, This one!' She produced her dark knight dresssphere and underwent the transformation.

Shiva drew back her right hand as energy began to condense around it. Rikku was almost at the end of her transformation into a dark knight when the ice goddess shot out her right hand forward. From her outstretched hand came a wave of solid ice that froze Rikku to the ground where she was standing. When all the ice formed itself around the dark knight Shiva leisurely raised her right hand up again. With a click from her middle finger and thumb the ice formation around Rikku shattered with a deafening noise. Rikku collapsed to the ground onto her stomach when the ice prison shattered into millions of tiny shards.

Yuna felt anger boil up from within herself that she had never experienced before in her life. This intense anger welled up inside her as Rikku was struck with the deadly diamond dust spell. A faint green radiance began to pulse through the engine room as Yuna's feelings of hatred intensified. The green energy all at once flowed together to encase Shiva in its plutonium like glow. The ice goddess gazed around at the prison of jade energy she was engulfed in with shock and horror. Yuna smiled and called out, "Ultima!" The green radiance that engulfed Shiva lit up and exploded with an earsplitting screech.

The shockwave resulting form the ultima blast threw Yuna back up against the wall behind her. Shiva writhed in pain as the blue and jade flames spun around her in a torrent of pain. The ice aeon collapsed down upon her right knee and elbow as she did before. Her skin began to shimmer and fade into a solid liquid like form, still keeping the shape of her outline. Pyreflies slowly leaked out of the liquid like form that used to be the body of the ice goddess.

Yuna lifted her weary head and shook it to make her vision clear. She gazed about the engine room half expecting Shiva to leap out and strike her down, but when the aeon never did she hurried over to the form of her cousin. On her way over to where the collapsed Rikku lay she reached into a pouch at her waist and drew out the white mage dresssphere. She continued to run on over to her incapacitated cousin while she transformed in mid flight. Rikku's body was chilled to the touch but there was still some warmth radiating out from the core of her body. Yuna placed her hands slightly above Rikku's back and began to chant some words that couldn't be made clear. Her hands glowed with a blue white shine as they hovered gently above her cousin's immobile body. The blue white sparkle flowed off her finger tips and enveloped the young Al Bhed girl's entire body. She coughed after the aura washed over her body for about ten seconds and opened her fatigued jade swirled eyes to meet Yuna's blue and green ones.

"Hiya Yunie." Rikku greeted her cousin after her spell of unconsciousness. She leaned up onto her hands and knees which trembled at the slight shift of body weight. Never the less she stood upright after having her legs quiver with ache and faced her cousin. "Hey, where's Paine?"

The two girls glanced around the engine room in search of their friend. They saw her laying upon the floor on her back, arms and legs sprawled out in all directions. The two cousins rushed over to their friend and they each cast a high power healing spell on the injured Paine. Her crimson eyes fluttered open as the soothing warmth flowed through her veins from the dual healing spells. Paine sat upright in between the two cousins washing a smile of relief and joy over their faces. They stood up and each outstretched a hand to their warrior friend. She took one in each hand and was hauled up onto her feet by her two friends.

"How do you feel Paine?" Yuna queried when she hoisted her friend to her feet.

"Fine." Paine stated bluntly walking past the two joyous cousins towards the elevator. "Coming?" She cocked her head back and questioned the cousins who were standing there gawking at her.

Rikku started off towards her friend and the elevator. "Yeah, we're coming!" Yuna took off after the hyper Al Bhed girl and the serious gothic like warrior.

As the three sphere hunters grouped themselves on the metal elevator Buddy's voice crackled over the intercom, "How's everything down there?" The transmission ended Yuna enough time to answer the asked question.

She held the wrist communicator up to her lips. "Everything's fine. We were just coming back up to the bridge." She let her arm fall to rest at her side once again.

The silence that followed was cut when static crackled over the intercom again. "Good to hear you're all safe. By the way we are almost at Guadosalam so you might want to get ready." His words echoed on through the empty hull of the airship as the elevator continued to glide its way up to the bridge.

The Celsius came to a halt right over the entrance to Guadosalam and lowered down the large cargo bay lift. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine stood on the lift as it made its descent to the dusty road on the outskirts of Guadosalam. The three companions leisurely strolled into the Guado home town seeking the entrance to the farplane. All the buildings were repaired since the last time they were here when all the fiends attacked. The harmonious melody of the musicians from Macalania woods floated through the air giving off a calm aura. A few Guado children played in the once deserted and desolate streets of the Guado home town.

The large antique crimson doors that barred the passageway into the farplane were boarded up and had a Guado guard on either side. Rikku charged up the rest of the way to the door to the farplane and right past the guards. Her fists pounded upon the boarded up door relentlessly as the Guado guards just stood silently. "Hey! What's the big idea! We have to rescue Tidus!" She then continued on to hit one of the guards in rage and confusion.

A familiar and calm voice came wafting up the ramp into Rikku's ears. "Please Miss. Rikku calm down." Tromell came up the path at his usual leisurely pace towards the infuriated Al Bhed. "You have to understand. We had to shut up the farplane due to the past attack on our home by those fiends from in there. I am just doing my job as leader and protector of the Guado." The old Guado's slow and calming words seemed to have some affect on Rikku.

"But…but…if we don't…" She stammered but was cut off by Yuna.

"Rikku." Yuna got the full attention of her blonde haired cousin. "I want to get to Tidus more than any of us be we also have to respect Tromell's decision as the leader of the Guado for the safety of his people." She explained the situation in a way her cousin could understand.

Tromell began to apologize, "I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have put you into but…" He was cut off by an understanding nod from the three sphere hunters. "If there is anything else I can do for you I would gladly see to it."

Yuna smiled at the elderly Guado. "No, it's okay Tromell you don't have to do anything for us. We must get going though." Yuna gathered her two friends and began to stroll down the path to the entrance to Guadosalam. "Good bye Tromell." Yuna waved back just as they rounded the corner and went out of his sight.

Back aboard the Celsius they bounced ideas off each other of ways to get into the farplane as soon as possible. "So how can we get into the farplane if Guadosalam is blocked off?" Rikku was the first one to ask the question everyone had on their mind.

"It's quite simple Rikku." Paine shot in from her usual dark corner drawing questioning glances from Yuna, Rikku, Buddy, and especially Brother. "We go in the way we did a year ago, through the fayth holes in one of the temples." Paine expressed what she had on her mind to the rest of the group.

Rikku was bounding up and down on her heels till an idea suddenly leapt into her head. "Hey, why don't we use the hole in the temple on Besaid? That way we could see Wakka, Lulu and their cute little sun again." She took center stage in the conversation.

Paine shot an annoyed glance at the giddy blonde haired Al Bhed. "Because then Wakka would probably want to come along to save his bud." Her words confused Rikku.

"But what dose that have to do with anything?" Rikku questioned as she got up in Paine's face. "Then we would have some more help to rescue Tidus not to mention that we would be spending time with one of our old friends. Besides, Wakka is a good fighter so what's to worry about." Rikku tried to make sense of what Paine had just said.

Paine shook her head at her clueless friend. "Dose Yuna look happy about the idea of going to Besaid?" Rikku tilted her head in the direction of her cousin. Sure enough as Paine said it Yuna didn't look too excited about the idea, instead she looked kind of depressed. "See Rikku. If we go to Besaid and tell Wakka and Lulu what we are doing there then Wakka will for surely get caught up in it and tag along. Then if anything were to happen to him Yuna wouldn't be able to stand the fact that she made one of her friends get hurt or worse." Rikku looked back and forth between her cousin and Paine. "Get it Rikku?"

"Well…yeah. I mean I understand most of it." She continued to contemplate and analyze everything said to her in her brain.

"Good enough." Paine admitted just to get on with the question of where to go. "Now, any other suggestions?"

Yuna rubbed her chin trying to remember exactly where all the holes to the farplane where located. "Hey! How about we go to Djose temple?" The idea shot into her mind like a lightening bolt. "I know how much you've wanted to see Gippal again after your run in with him on Bikanel." She expressed her new idea.

Rikku looked upon her cousin with a look of confusion. "How did you know that?" She covered her mouth quickly as the words floated into the air. She began to blush.

"It seems our little Rikku is growing up." Paine jested from her overshadowed corner.

"Hey!" Rikku's face turned an even brighter color of red. "Stop it! You're embarrassing me!" She attempted to cover her face with her hands but the brightness of her beet red face shone through the slightest crack between her fingers.

"Okay, then it's decided!" Yuna spun around rather quickly almost losing her balance to face Buddy and Brother. "Let's get going to Djose!" Buddy and Brother ran back to their posts and leapt in their seats simultaneously drawing a slight snicker from Yuna.

The Celsius sliced through the air as it hurtled at a lightening fast pace towards Djose temple. When they arrived at the sandy machine fraction HQ the air ship hovered over the ground and lowered the cargo bay lift as it did when they were here last time. Rikku, Yuna, and Paine emerged from the depths of the shadows cast by the air ship. An Al Bhed came running up to the three girls as the Celsius took back off into the azure sky leaving them to enter the farplane "Hello, and welcome to Djose temple the HQ of the machine faction!" The Al Bhed greeted the quests. "Oh, hey Rikku!" He noted that he recognized these guests. "Ah, and you must be Yuna." He gazed at Yuna for not more than a second before his memory clicked with the face.

"Hello, we're here to see Gippal, is he around?" Yuna greeted the Al Bhed man and queried on Gippal's current location.

A disappointed look passed over the Al Bhed man's face. "Oh, I'm sorry he is with Nooj and Baralai I believe." He apologized for the absence of his leader.

"I see." Yuna contemplated on what to do next since the plan had revolved around Gippal. "Is there anyway we can get into the chamber of the fayth?" The man looked at her like she had five heads and tentacles but responded.

"Sure you can. Although I don't know why anyone would want to go into that old place but who am I?" The man gestured for them to pass into the former temple and into the chamber of the fayth.

As the three sphere hunters strode into the former temple past all the machina and Al Bhed working on them thoughts bounced around in Rikku's head. 'Why dose he always avoid me or act like a jerk when he is around? Could it be because he is afraid of what I might do if we keep these feelings for one another? Or what he might do?' By this point she had stopped in the middle of the stairs that lead up into the chamber of the fayth. Yuna called out to her to hurry up which broke up all thoughts in her mind.

Rikku hurried up the rest of the way up the stairs and passed through the chamber before entering the fayth chamber. The chamber of the fayth didn't change much since a year ago when Yuna got knocked into the farplane by Ixon. The large gaping pitch black hole with mingling pyreflies floating throughout it still stood in the enter of the chamber. It still had the distinct scent of fuel and oil from the three years of being filled with operating machina. Yuna and Paine were already nestled on the edge of the hole when Rikku entered the room.

Yuna gazed back at Rikku and then at Paine. "Well, it's now or never." She let herself slip into the seemingly never-ending void that they all knew too well to be the entrance to the farplane. Rikku and Paine followed suit shortly after their friend plummeted into the vast void.

Once inside the farplane the three companions gazed around in confusion as they didn't see the damp murky cavern like structure with numerous platforms hovering in mid air with fiends crawling all over the place. Instead it was more like the inside of a large complex. The walls were made of steel and glinted in the soft light that pyreflies emit. The floors weren't the dust covered murky dirt and rock but rather it was smoothed over granite. Light fixtures mounted on the ceiling gave off more than enough light to see every little detail in the complex like structure.

Footsteps sounded throughout the long, open corridor the three companions strode upon. There was noting in the corridor or any other for that matter, save the lights on the ceilings that cast a pallid glow upon the entire structure. Only a few shadows lingered in the corners of the chambers and passageways, but for the most part it was lit well. No furniture lined the chambers or corridors and no signs of life were perceived, not even fiends who would have usually called a place like this home.

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine milled around through the numerous passageways and chambers in the complex structure. "What do you suppose this place is?" Rikku queried while she beheld the one dimly lit room they had encountered since their arrival. "And how come there aren't any fiends here? Every other time we came to the farplane in the past year we always have encountered fiends." Her question raised a querying stare from Paine who had rested herself upon the wall to the north.

Paine pushed her way leisurely off the wall and surveyed the area neighboring her. "Maybe we're not in the farplane." She stated frankly retreating back to the wall she had regretfully given up to answer her friend's pondering mind. "Take a look around." She gestured around the room and down the foyers. "Dose this look like the farplane to you? There are usually pyreflies roaming sporadically through the air which brings the fiends, hence the reason for no fiends." She deciphered what was in her mind.

Yuna rapidly scrutinized her surroundings with her bi colored eyes. "Something's not right here…" Her feet carried her throughout the entire chamber with her right hand firmly placed upon the grip on the hilt of the pistol in the holster lashed to her waist.

A cry chimed from the shadows of an abandoned corridor neither of the sphere hunters noticed when they arrived into their current room. The soft call radiated out from the shady passageway, the cry increasing in volume till it echoed off the walls of the alcove but it was still incoherent to everyone. As it continued to increase in volume so did its clarity. "Yuna!" A familiar, young, energetic, warm, and loving voice called out to the former summoner.

A figure began to appear in the gloom of the corridor, taking more and more shape as it proceeded forward at what seemed to be a running pace. Out of the shady passageway came a blonde haired teen with a yellow and white shirt with black shorts with a 'J' etched in red orange on the right pant leg. His deep blue eyes meet with Yuna's blue and green ones causing tears to well up in her eyes immediately. They both ran into each other's arms and stood still in the heart of the chamber for moments on end. Yuna's voice then broke the silence through her cries of happiness. "Tidus…you're safe…" The young man pulled himself away from the former summoner and smiled.

"Yuna…" She glazed up into his blue eyes as he continued to speak. "…I love you." He enveloped her in another passionate hug. After another few moments the two broke free of each other's grasp and Tidus noted the other two in the chamber. "Hey Rikku. And you're name is?" He gestured to Paine.

"Oh, that's Paine." Rikku answered the question aimed for Paine. "She's not much of a talker." Paine gave an annoyed look at her friend which drew a smile from Yuna. "So, Tidus…" He glanced over to her, giving her his full attention. "How did ya escape?" Rikku changed the subject rather hastily.

"I managed to escape when the guys that had me tied up left into another part of this place to talk in private." He explained how he escaped the clutches of the enemy. "I managed to pick one of the arm locks with my teeth and a lose pin from my shirt. Then I just continued on to unlock all the rest of the shackles."

Tidus went back to Yuna and placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. "We better be going. No telling when those guys might show up again." He slid his hand down her arm and clasped his hand in hers. They began strolling down a corridor in the opposite direction from the one they came in.

Rikku started to follow the reunited couple but had to impose a question. "Why are we going this way? Shouldn't we go that way?" She motioned to the passageway they had come in on from the entrance. "We came in through there so the exit's there too." The couple turned back to their hyper friend.

"I know a shortcut." Tidus stated bluntly and pulled Yuna back around to follow the path that he had set before.

"Wait! How do you know a shortcut? You were imprisoned here not just exploring."

He turned back to face his AL Bhed friend once again, only this time he was annoyed with her constant questioning. "I wandered around a lot before I found you three after I escaped. Is it so hard to believe that I would know one?" He continued with Yuna through the doorway into the corridor he selected.

Paine strode over to stand beside her dumbfounded friend. "I don't even know the guy and I say theirs is something not right going on here." Her words drew Rikku's attention.

"What do you mean?" Her questioning was in a very confused manner.

Paine's gazed followed the former summoner and her love down the dusty corridor that they were following. "I can tell that he isn't himself just by how he answered your questions. He acted like you didn't matter and he was going to proceed with his plan no matter what like he wanted to get Yuna somewhere and quick."

Rikku looked even more confused with Paine's every word. "So, what dose that mean then? Than that isn't Tidus? Or what?" Her jade swirled eyes now followed the slow paced couple as they strolled peacefully together.

"Exactly."

"Well, why can't Yunie tell it's not him if it isn't? I mean how can she not tell if it's him, she knows him the most." Rikku continued with her never ending torrent of questions.

"Maybe she is just over excited because she is finally back with the one she loves after three years."

Rikku glanced at Paine and then back at the couple walking down the ever darkening corridor. "We can't just let Yunie go with that imposter!" She took off after her cousin but Paine landed a hand upon her shoulder, holding her back. "Lemme go! We need to tell Yunie!" Paine tightened her grip on her friend's shoulder sending a small wave of commanding pain through the Al Bhed girl's body.

The warrior let go of Rikku's shoulder and explained herself. "We can't just go and tell her outright, she won't believe us. You know Yuna more than I do so you should know how she doesn't let something go easily if she believes in it. We have to wait for the right moment." She continued on with discussing her reasoning for detaining Rikku and on how to save Yuna.

The two of them caught up with their two other friends within a minute of conversing. After a short while of meandering throughout the passageway they were in they came to a dead end. Tidus broke free from Yuna's grasp and walked up to the wall where a minute recess was placed. He placed his right hand into the alcove and a clicking noise sounded through the silent chamber. Nothing happened. Then all of a sudden the wall began to peal back to reveal a sheet of crystal glass. On the other side of the thick glass stood a figure shackled to the wall.

Yuna's eyes shot wide with confusion and fear as she realized who the figure belonged to. "Tidus!" She hollered to the figure behind the glass but it muffled the sound to nothing. The imposter Tidus began to laugh maniacally at Yuna's intense reaction.

"Muwahahahahaha!" The imposter doubled over with malevolent laughter. "Your reaction was greater than I had hoped. I wonder what you're thinking right now. Could it be how you just spent a whole hour walking hand in hand with a complete stranger without realizing it?" The man laughed as he spoke, breaking up some of his words.

Paine glared at the imposter with deadly crimson eyes. "As I thought. You're not Tidus at all but an imposter." She drew out her skull blade and readied herself for the battle to come.

"My, my. Aren't we hasty?" The man walked closer to the group of girls. "I haven't even shown you what I look like yet nor told you my name and you want to fight." His body began to glow with a jade shine as he underwent a transformation. When the jade light retreated from sight it left the man by himself in a new form. Long, platinum hair cascaded down past his shoulders which he flicked a stray bang out of his deep brown eyes. A blood red short sleeve shirt rested upon his broad chest. Baggy jet back pants fastened with a gold and silver belt flowed down his long legs. "Now that you see me for who I am, now I can tell you my name. My name is Xanthos." With that he charged at Paine, unarmed.

When he neared Paine, Xanthos unleashed a massive barrage of punches and kicks. Paine cast her blade aside and blocked each of the oncoming blows with her fore arms and catching them in her hands. "So, you're the one from Gagazet too? I recognize your fighting style." He unleashed a massive kick that landed square on the warrior's chest. She was flung through the air five feet then crashed on her back to the ground with an echoing thud.

"Yes, I am. And it seems that you haven't improved your fighting style since then so you cannot hope to beat me." He rushed up to her and grasped her by the shoulders and tossed her through the air and into the nearby wall. She struck the wall flat on her back and flopped off the wall onto her stomach forcing the wind out of her lungs. She unsteadily rose to her feet to meet an uppercut to the chin sending her straight up in the air two feet and then plummeted back towards the ground. Xanthos spun around and then spun back on one heel letting fly a devastating kick to the warrior's torso.

Yuna whipped out her twin pistols and aimed them at Xanthos' head with sturdy arms. She squeezed on the triggers firing two high speed bullets at the martial arts master. The bullets zipped through the air but Xanthos did not take so much as a glance towards Yuna or the two bullets hurtling through the air at him. The bullets reached him and were about to sink into his flesh as his hands shot out lightening fast and grappled the bullets with his pointer finger and thumb in each hand. He shook his head in disappointment and dropped the bullets from his grasp.

Rikku rifled through a few of her various pouches lining her waist in search of a new dresssphere. She finally found one she decided to use and withdrew it from the leather pouch. Pallid light engulfed her as she called upon the power within the sphere. When the glow disappeared she emerged with a monkey on her shoulder that looked more hyper than she, if that is possible. She ordered the monkey to attack Xanthos right before he reached Paine. The monkey leapt up onto Xanthos' back and began to screech and howl in his left ear and scratch at his spine. In annoyance and pain he gripped the monkey by its long golden tail and plucked him off his back. Then he held the monkey away from his body and flicked it like a whip while releasing it in mid crack. It soared through the air until it made contact with Rikku. She was toppled over by the momentum of the flying monkey and almost landed on the thing.

Xanthos smiled and plucked a stone from the ground. He began to toss it casually up in the air while he waited for Rikku to regain her footing. 'This should be entertaining.' He thought as he caught the stone and clenched his fist tightly around it. He opened his clenched fist back up after a few seconds to reveal a perfectly ripe banana. "Oh, did I forget to tell you? I can change things outside of my body as well as my body into anything I wish." He then continued to spin it on the palm of his hand as the monkey's attention was drawn away from Rikku's commands and more onto the banana. Noting that his plan had worked he tossed the banana down an eerily dark corridor and watched as the monkey stupidly followed after it. "Ha! Relying on lower life forms, pathetic." A noise like a trap door opening sounded from the depths of the shady passageway as a distressed cry from the monkey shortly followed.

Paine by this time regained her breath and footing. She also changed to a different dresssphere, the dark knight. She charged Xanthos with her newly acquired sword and powers as he was preoccupied with his amusing act with the monkey. She leapt into the air and brought her spiky blade down upon his head. At the last second he pivoted on his left heel and caught the blade in between his hands. He twisted his hands to the side causing Paine to lose her gripping on the blade and tumbling her through the air. She got back upon her feet and charged him again to attempt to retrieve her sword from him. He amazingly relinquished the blade back to its master without any hesitation. He reached into a pocket in his pants and produced a tiny rod of metal. A smile passed over his lips as the metal rod began to glow with a white intensity. As the flash died down the outline of something could be seen in his grasp. The glow died completely to reveal him wielding a katana in his right hand.

Paine charged Xanthos as fast as her legs could carry her with her sword rested across her back. When she got within attack range she gripped the sword hilt securely with both hands and brought it down with a left diagonal slash. His katana flashed upwards to the left upside down to parry the two handed slash. Metal on metal sounded as Paine's sword was deflected with ease by Xanthos' katana. She hastily yanked her blade back and came in from the right with a one handed, horizontal swing. Once again his light weight katana parried the aggressive dark knight's blade stroke causing it to bounce off and making Paine stumble to the side. Xanthos saw his attack of opportunity and took the first blow her could deal. He jabbed out his sword hilt into Paine's stomach, doubling her over in pain. He removed the hilt from being imbedded in her torso and let her body slump over like a rag doll.

Rikku and Yuna both used their warrior dresssphere to transform them into a state where they could duel Xanthos. They emerged from the light made by the transformation with large blades at their sides. Xanthos saw the two cousins transform so he charged them with his full force. He dragged his katana along side him as he charged towards the two cousins. When he entered the attack range he pulled the katana up and to the left with two hands. Yuna and Rikku were caught off guard by his sudden assault and fell back from the attack. Then he wrapped his katana around to the left near the ground and continued his movement by binging it up diagonally to the right. Yuna fell to the ground from his attack that put a small gash into her stomach.

Paine got back upon her feet, grabbed her sword and rushed over to stand beside her two friends to prepare for the next attack. Xanthos smiled with amusement as he rifled around in another of the small pouches lining his waist. He produced another of the small metal rods and clasped it in his fist. The metal rod glowed as before and produced another katana in his left hand. He charged the three girls with his dual katanas dragging along side him. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine counter charged him and smashed into his blades with their own. He was knocked back by their sheer momentum due to the fact that there were three of them and only one of him. They began to unleash a series of deadly sword strokes against the shape shifter as he dodged and parried them.

Xanthos finally got off an offensive strike after blocking and or evading the multitude of sword strokes Yuna, Rikku, and Paine let fly. He parried all three of the girls' swords with his left katana and took back his right katana over and behind his head, holding it in mid swing. He pressed his blade against the three sphere hunters' swords, knocking them back a few feet. Then he finished his swing with his right handed katana sending a wave of cerulean wind hurtling towards Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. Yuna and Paine dove under the wave of cerulean illumination as it passed over, almost forcing the two friends back as the dove forward. Rikku was not so luck, she couldn't dive under the wave of destruction so she did all she could do to block it. She whipped up her sword in front of her perpendicular to the sapphire wave of wind.

A vibrant orange glow shot around the blonde Al Bhed where her sword collided with the azure wave of energy. The shine enveloping Rikku dissipated revealing her sitting on the ground with her sword propped up in front of her sturdily with her left hand placed on the flat side of the blade. Xanthos' jaw dropped wide in astonishment as he gazed upon the young Al Bhed girl that deflected the wave of energy he launched upon her. He quickly shook the bewilderment from his face and mind and prepared for another charge upon the battered sphere hunter. His twin katanas came down upon Rikku's head after being carried across the gap between them with lightening speed. Yuna and Paine flocked over to their friend from either of the flanks surrounding Xanthos. As his blades were just about to come down on the dazed Al Bhed Yuna's blade propelled itself above her head and parried the blow. Paine came in from the other side and brought her blade across from her left along Xanthos' torso. He leapt to the side almost toppling over Yuna but rapidly recovered and leapt back away from the group.

Yuna shook her cousin out of her stunned state and pulled her up to her feet. Paine filed in next to Rikku and Yuna, preparing for another attack or a counter attack if Xanthos attacked first. Her surprisingly stood back and let the three companions plan their next move. They all glanced at each other and nodded as they took off towards the shape shifter with implausible speeds. Yuna brought her blade from the right to the left with two hands but Xanthos flashed his blade up just in the nick of time sending the echoing sound of metal on metal throughout the vast room. Rikku thrust her blade into his stomach but that was also averted by him taking his right katana and driving down towards the ground catching her blade tip on his finger guard. With both his swords being used Paine saw her chance and pounced upon him through the air, driving it down to his chest. He moved his mass back a few inches as the warrior's blade came down upon him. The sword flew straight through the gap in between Xanthos and Rikku catching itself where the Al Bhed and the shape shifter's swords met, breaking the lock between the two.

Xanthos stumbled backwards from the unexpected blow dealt by Paine's blade stroke. An eerie laugh echoed from the shadows in amusement at Xanthos' folly. "Need help my friend?" The laughter ended and a figure stepped forward out of the shadows of the walls.

The shape shifter bent his head back around his shoulders to gaze upon the figure emerging from the shadows. "What took you so long Issark?" The shadows wrapped around him pealed back to show the green and white robed summoner.

The robed summoner withdrew his dual battle axes and strode up to the one that was his friend. When the two were standing side by side they then charged the three sphere hunters with their dual weapons. The three young girls broke away from one another, Yuna going to the left, Paine to the right and Rikku ran up to the two foes and leapt over them. The former summoner charged Issark from his right causing him to turn and focus all his attention on her. The dark knight took Xanthos' attention fully upon her leaving Rikku free to do as she willed. Yuna flipped her sword through her hands and brought it down upon the former summoner. Issark held his two axes crossing over each other and caught Yuna's sword in their steely clutch. Paine took her blade and drew it up from the ground to her left towards Xanthos' right side. He shot out his right arm with his katana brushing aside the dark knight's blow.

Rikku took her chance to assail the duo and rushed up to the men who were back to back. She took up her blade and raised it above the two fighters, who had all their attention focused on Yuna and Paine. Her sword fell down upon the shape shifter and summoner; however they both stepped forward in one synchronized fluid motion pushing back their foes and eluding the blonde girl's blade. After the blade fell silent to the ground the two men fell back to touch one another's back and each placed a foot on the sword, pinning it against the ground. Yuna continued her assault on Issark with a succession of multiple slices. He skillfully parried all of the multitudes of blows with the blades of his battle axes. He caught her sword in one of the holes in the axe head on his left axe and brought the butt of the axe handle to her stomach. Paine took her spiked sword and thrust it out at Xanthos but the assault was in vain. He slid his two katanas into belt loops on his jet black pants and reach out his hands. Her blade slid right in between his two palms as a clapping sound resonated as his hands crashed together to grip the blade firmly. Paine almost lost hold of her dark knight sword in surprise of the incredible skill Xanthos held within him. He crooked his wrists and arms to the right forcing Paine's sword to eject from her hands and come into the possession of Xanthos.

Yuna recovered from the blow to the stomach from the axe butt to her gut dealt by the summoner. She then rushed the summoner with her blade out behind her with the tip just barely off the ground with her left hand out across her chest. Issark swung his massive, magical axe in his right hand from up behind his head to out in front of him in an attempt the swipe the charging former summoner. Yuna, prepared fro this attack, shot out her left hand and gripped onto the handle of the battle axe hurtling towards her. Issark's jaw dropped down to the ground in wide eyed surprise at the block the girl put up against his heavy hitting axe blow. He rapidly yanked the axe handle out of Yuna's grasp and conveyed his battle axe in his left hand across at Yuna. She carried her sword up from behind her back along the ground and up to impede the approaching swipe. The sword traversed through the handle of the battle axe, severing the head off the shaft. The axe head flew over Yuna's head and dug itself into the ground behind her.

Paine, weaponless, tried to reclaim her blade from behind the shape shifter but Xanthos shot out his arm to clothesline her as she passed. She toppled backwards to the metallic floor as his muscular forearm smashed into her soft neck muscles. He swiftly gripped the hilts of both his katanas and ripped them out of their respective belt loops. He strode over to where the dark knight was knocked to the ground and drew out his katanas over her unmoving body. As his katana blades were about to plunge into her chest her eyes fluttered open and rolled to the left. A sharp pain flashed over her body as she rotated away from Xanthos on the ground but soon disappeared as she continued to roll away from the shape shifter. His blades rang off the ground and shook violently in his hands, almost making him lose control over them. Paine glanced over to where she had just been to determine what sent the sharp pain through her back. She caught a glimpse of her spiky dark knight blade and began to roll back towards it.

Rikku charged up to Xanthos as his dual katanas continued to quiver fiercely in his hands. She took up her blade and leapt into the air at the preoccupied shape shifter. Her blade dug into his flesh across his spine leaving a slight gash all the way across his back. He let out a minute howl of pain when Rikku's sword leapt off his skin. He spun around, dual katanas in hand, and glowered at the young Al Bhed girl and charged her. He brought his blades down upon her two shoulders but were repelled away by her own blade. He fell back after not succeeding in his assault against the troublesome blonde girl and contemplated his next move. An idea sprung into his head and slid his katana that he held in his left hand back into its respective belt loop. He then inspected the contents of his pouch and found what he was searching for. He produced a strange, small, pointed object and clasped in his palm as crimson light broke through his fingers. The strange, pointed object transformed into a prickly frisbee like weapon which he then pitched at the young Al Bhed blonde.

Yuna followed up her skillful severing off the axe head of Issark's left battle axe with a thrust to the summoner's stomach. He leapt over the blade with incredible ease, much to the dismay of Yuna as he came back down upon her with his remaining battle axe. She dexterously eluded the summoner and his deadly plunge from the sky with his magic aura battle axe. As she darted to the left of the now grounded summoner and took her blade up to the back of her neck. She then continued with her attack and swung her blue and gold blade at Issark's neck while continuing on a spin on her toes. He stood up right before the azure and gold blade slit his throat but not noticing the attack he was still struck in the chest and fell to the ground, bewildered.

The bristly frisbee like weapon hurtled towards Rikku with an immense speed that not even the over hyper blonde could match. All she could do was bring up her blade in front of her face to block the oncoming weapon and pray that her sword would bar its path. The frisbee like blade refracted off of Rikku's sword and smashed along the ground stirring up dust clouds and screeching noises. Xanthos cursed in silence as his plan faltered and shattered to pieces in front of his face. Rikku then charged the shape shifter after opening her eyes to see that her blade managed to avert the ring blade's trajectory. Xanthos slipped his other katana back out of its holster and back into its regular sword fighting stance. The blonde headed Al Bhed swung her light yet sturdy blade at the shape shifter's stomach. He fell back with a rather deep gash taken to the stomach and collapsed to his knees. Rikku poised her blade above Xanthos' head and was about to bring it down upon his neck to finish him off when a hissing voice rang through the chamber.

"Enough. You two are a disgrace to me for disobeying my orders to finish off the former summoner." A cloaked figure crept out of the shadows and lifted up a black sleeve. With that the tip of his sleeve began to glow gray as did the air around the fallen Issark.

"No, wait! What are you doing?" Issark shouted in a confused manner as his body began to dematerialize.

The cloaked figure let out an eerie, maniacal laugh from within the depths of the shadow covering its visage. "I gave you life so you could fulfill my wishes by taking care of the former summoner, Yuna, but you failed so I will take your life back." Issark's body faded to nothingness as pyreflies leaked into the figure's cloaked arm.

"What did you do to him?" Rikku shot an amazed question at the evil cloaked man.

The figure showed with his body posture that he was having a spell of laughter because he was quivering from Rikku's question. "Simple really, all I did was suck his soul back up into my body, gathering his energy to use as my own." The figure got a crook out of his neck and continued. "He was part of me. I absorbed his soul for the powers that he held as a summoner so I could recuperate from the wounds that you, former summoner Yuna, and your friends inflicted on me. Then I simply gave him some of my power as well as his own to form his living body so I could use him as a slave to do my biding."

Yuna stared blankly at the cloaked figure as did Rikku and Paine. "But why? Who are you? And isn't Xanthos under your control too? So why haven't u done the same to him as you did to Issark?" Yuna blurted out a random series of questions.

The figure appeared to be amused with her queries. "I did not absorb Xanthos because he is not a soul I put in a body unlike Issark, he is a living being just as you and I. And yes he is under my control but he won't be for long after he finds out my true identity."

Rikku shot a glance at Xanthos and questioned. "You didn't even know who you were working for?"

"No." He stated flatly shaking his head. "I was a fool. I needed the money that he was offering for the hit on you and your friend. And now it seems like I'm going to regret what I did. Show yourself!" The cloaked figure obliged Xanthos' command, removing the thick black hood shrouding his face in dark shadows.

The hood slid off to reveal a man of middle age with a few wrinkles in his skin and a scar or two running up and across his face. Brown mid length hair almost fell over his two dark brown eyes. "This is my true form, not that parasitic form you battled three years ago, former summoner Yuna." Yuna and Rikku glanced at each other with a madly surprised look of shock and horror as they realized just who this was.

"Yu Yevon." The two cousins stated synchronized with one another.

"Correct. I' am the one that controlled sin for those thousand years before you and your friends found a flaw in the Sin armor I was in and defeated me." Xanthos stared blankly at Yu Yevon as if something happened between the two a long time ago. "But this time I am not in that pathetic parasitic form to take over aeons because there are none, save the ones I granted Issark to summon against you."

Xanthos' body was trembling and his face was flushed red with what appeared to be raw hatred. "You…you are the one who destroyed my home island and killed my friends and family." His fists shook violently as his teeth clenched and his face became pure crimson. "How can you have no conscious and kill all those people with Sin, you sick son of a bitch!" The shape shifter charged upon the god with his twin katanas. He leapt into the air and came down upon Yu Yevon with his katanas imbedding themselves into the god's shoulders. Then he brought his right knee up as fast as lightening, smashing Yu Yevon's face in and sending him hurtling backwards.

The god got back upon his feet and smiled an eerie, evil smile that symbolized he wasn't affected at all by Xanthos' assault. "You cannot hurt me you pathetic fool." He forced a clenched fist into Xanthos' stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying backwards about fifty feet into a wall. "I can do as I will for I am a god." He proclaimed as he continued to laugh manically at the shape shifter's weakness.

Yuna strode forward and confronted the god. "You have…you have no right to take other peoples' lives even if you are a god, no one dose. What you did with Sin, you will never be forgiven for. All the people that lost loved ones to you in your armor known as Sin made no sense at all! At first I believed that it was a punishment from the sins of our forefathers but when I discovered the truth about Sin….there was no reason for you to kill people."

"But what you still don't seem to understand even after three years, Lady Yuna, is that he was trying to end Spira's suffering as was I by trying to become Sin." An all too familiar low, creepy voice bounded out of the shadows to reach the ears of Yuna and Rikku. A blue, spiked haired man with blue, red, and green robes with a black, odd tattoo placed upon the center of his chest emerged from the shadows. A tattoo like design wrapped around his forehead and stretched down on either side of his grayed eyes. He had long fingernails that were like three inches long.

"But…but…how?" Rikku stammered remembering the many times they had fought Seymour and then Yuna finally sent him.

Seymour grinned slightly at the lack of intelligence of the Al Bhed girl. "Simple." He walked towards the blonde girl. "Even people that are sent to the farplane can come back. Remember my father, Lord Jyscal, he was sent but he had an unclean death, by my hands no less, and tried to come back to the realm of the living to find peace. I died an unclean death at your hands, I still have to exact my revenge upon you two and the rest of your friends, like the one we have in the back room." He gestured to a door behind him in the shadows. "So I couldn't just rot in the farplane for all eternity. So, I regained my strength and then I found him." He pointed to Yu Yevon with a gnarled finger.

"So, what do you plan to do next former summoner Yuna?" Yu Yevon queried the sphere hunter.

Rikku leaned over to whisper something into her cousin's ear. "We gotta get past those two and get Tidus out." She pulled away from her cousin and awaited an order.

Yuna started off one foot and Rikku followed suit as did Paine. Yu Yevon and Seymour chuckled between each other as the three girls slowly strode up to the two of them. Yu Yevon began to perform some sort of spell casting movements with his hands but froze in mid spell. 'What is this?' The god pondered as he couldn't move any part of his body. He then turned on Seymour and shot a fire ball spell at the former Maester of Yevon. He was plastered to the wall by the immense about of energy coming from the powers of the god. Then he turned to Yuna and spoke in a familiar, rough voice. "Yuna, go!"

Yuna and Rikku faced the possessed god. "Sir Auron?"

"Correct. Now go Tidus needs you."

"But how did you get absorbed?" Rikku asked another of her obvious questions.

The former guardian turned to face the young blonde Al Bhed girl. "I was absorbed by him a half a year ago when he retook form and began collecting souls throughout the farplane to gain back his powers. He found me and we fought a long drawn out battle, but in the end he overtook me. But now you must go to Tidus and free him, I cannot hold control over this body much longer. So, go." He forced the three of them into the passageway that led to the chamber where Tidus was being held.

Tidus was shackled to a damp and dark wall on the opposite side of the small prison chamber. Yuna immediately rushed over to the one she loved and began to unlock the locks. Rikku shortly followed her cousin's actions trying to keep in mind what Auron said about that he couldn't hold control over Yu Yevon's body for long. When Tidus was freed from the shackles Yuna heaved him up upon her shoulders and carried him out into the hallway. Auron's voice called through the chamber. "Yuna, go now! We have no more time!" Yuna, Rikku, and Paine rushed out of the chamber and then into a corridor towards the exit of the complex.

A roar of frustration and pain shouted out from the chamber where Yu Yevon and Seymour were. "Get them!" The god screamed at Seymour but he couldn't catch up to the three sphere hunters and Tidus. The walls and ceilings began to tremble as fragments of the ceiling and walls began to break off and fall in the path of the four companions. They flocked through the crumbling corridors and chambers till they reached the entrance. A dark figure crept in the shadows in the entrance to the complex as the four companions exited through a portal back into the mortal realm. The figure followed them in hot pursuit but keeping enough space between them and him to remain undetected.


	9. Seymour's Return to Power

Chapter 9: Seymour's Return to Power

**Eriks leadinglady**- Yeah, that fight on the Celsius was a bit dragged out only because I didn't know where I was going to end the chap and since I usually have at least one big fight I had that in but then I decided to go on till page 19 but don't worry this chap is shorter by like 9 pages. Anyway, I want to know what you think about the dialogue. Is it good, okay or bad? I just get a feeling like it's not that good, but you tell me.

Ceremonial brass bells rang throughout the many streets in a colossal city of red. The bells indicated that there was a gathering form some celebration of the temple of Yevon. Thousands of people gathered around a platform that was suspended off of the third story of a massive building. Thrown over the railing was a great standard with the black symbol of Yevon embroidered into the center of the crimson and white banner. The people surrounding the massive building, which turned out to be the temple of Yevon in the center of Bevelle, screamed and cheered at two figures standing upon the platform jutting out of the building. It seemed like all of Bevelle's inhabitants came out to meet the two figures giving a speech upon the temple balcony except for one man. He lingered around the outskirts of the crowd and glared at the figure to the right on the balcony. There was a desolate alley that the man soon retreated to after becoming red with rage from the words an unseen announcer shouted over a loudspeaker.

'Today we are gathered here to hear a few words from the praetor of New Yevon, Baralai and a man that has once been a great Maester of Yevon and has now come back to us, Maester Seymour Guado." The announcer backed off of the microphone to let Baralai and Seymour take their turns at speaking.

The man strolled down the alleyway running his right hand through his long, platinum hair and shutting out all of the speech that Baralai and then Seymour were about to give. 'Damn! Didn't think they would be able to get Seymour back into power like this, but I guess the people still think that he was a great Maester and welcome him back with open arms, fools. Isn't that Baralai kid supposed to not be a praetor of Yevon anymore? After they defeated Vegnagun I thought he strode away from the path of New Yevon or…" He thought as she continued his stroll down the dark and deserted alley, still not paying any attention to the speeches. 'Could he have brain washed? If Yu Yevon and, or Seymour have those powers, who knows what they could do with them.' He sustained his leisurely walk down the alley contemplating the circumstances.

The speeches rattled on for about another hour or so, Baralai seemed not himself through his speech, furthering the man's suspicions that he was being brain washed or something along those lines. When bits of fragmented sounds from Seymour's speech reached the perked ears of the solitary man he clenched his fists in rage, annoyance and covered his ears to close out the eerie voice. 'Grrrrr! How can those people listen to that disturbing man?' He flung a fist into a trash can leaving a substantial dent in its side.

A light, melodic, female voice came to the man out of nowhere. "Xanthos, is that you?" A woman in her mid twenties stepped through a doorway with long brown locks flowing down over her face. She flicked her silky, brown hair out of her vivacious turquoise eyes revealing her beautiful and smooth facial skin and crimson colored lips. She ran a gentle hand along the chilled metallic metal of the side of a building in the alley. A sky blue, jade, and crimson tunic that was cut off a few inches above her bellybutton and cut low at her chest wrapped itself around her. Tight, ankle cut black pants wrapped themselves around her thighs and calves, leaving off just above her ankles.

Xanthos gawked at the women's beauty but sharply answered. "Who wants to know?" He shot a question back at the young woman.

She smiled. "Have you really forgotten me Xanthos?" She walked closer to the shape shifter. "I know it's been seven years but how could you forget me?" She placed a gentile hand upon his chest.

Xanthos felt an immense loving emotion surged through his body as her hand fell onto his chest. "Rena." His memories flooded back into his mind. "But how? I thought you and everyone else got killed by that monstrosity, Sin, and his twisted master, Yu Yevon. When I found myself washed up along the moonflow I was crushed with sorrow and I felt as though I couldn't continue with my life after Sin destroyed our home along with you." He countered her hand placement by wrapping his arms around her slender shoulders. They pushed away from one another and stared into each other's eyes. Xanthos could barely hold back his tears as he gazed into Rena's turquoise eyes, diving into her soul.

Rena returned the stare and smiled a lighthearted and energetic smile. "You look like you are on the verge of crying, and I know that you don't cry." She joked while sneaking a swift kiss on his lips.

The announcer of the Yevon speeches sounded once again over the loudspeaker to the thousands gathered below. "We thank you all for coming to see the arrival of the former Maester Seymour Guado and the bright words of the young praetor, Baralai." The loudspeaker fizzled and cut off. The massive throngs of people chatted amongst themselves about the sudden appearance of Maester Seymour as they walked back to their homes, businesses, and random cafés.

Xanthos cocked his head back towards the sound of the announcer's voice and gave a sigh of relief. "Finally! Those blow harts are done with their agonizing speeches." He glanced back at Rena's smiling face. "I was getting excruciatingly annoyed at those speeches playing off in the background. I couldn't concentrate on…you." Rena smiled before he reached out to her and pulled her close to his body and locked lips with her in a lengthy passionate kiss.

When they broke free from their extensive kiss Rena began to question Xanthos' past seven years. "What have you done throughout these past seven years?" She clasped his hand in hers and pulled him to a doorway. "Oh, let's go into my apartment." She turned the doorknob with her free hand and pushed it fully open, dragging Xanthos in with her. "So, as I was asking, what have you been up to these past seven years?"

A throng of noisy town's people flooded past the where the two old lovers conversed. "Well, after I washed up on the moonflow I wandered around aimlessly for days till I came upon a temple of Yevon. The priests took care of me till I got over my exhaustion. Once I was back to full health I moved away from the temple and wandered down a very, very, long road, which is now know as the Mi'ihen Highroad, and came to Luca. I was interested by Blitzball and started to play, but let's just say I wasn't very good at it. For money I worked in a café but was also a fiend slayer when one happened to venture into town and cause a ruckus. Soon I lost my job at the café for getting into a fist fight with a guy for…actually I forget why I did. So, after I got fired I couldn't find another job and became a homeless man until…he came." Xanthos recited his life for the past seven years and got infuriated at his last two words.

Rena listened intently to Xanthos' summary and then posed a question. "Until who came?" Her innocent question sent waves of anger coursing through Xanthos' body.

"Yu Yevon, the son of a bitch that destroyed our home, our lives. Although, I didn't know it at the time, he was all cloaked and never revealed himself to me." Xanthos almost hit himself at the remembrance of his stupidity.

Rena pushed herself up against him. "But, we still have each other now. Our lives will be easier now that we are together again." She leaned her head gingerly against his muscular chest.

A loud rapping came at the door and some voices called form out side something like 'Open up!' "Well now, when do the rats of Bevelle ruin romantic moments? Looks like Seymour finally figured out that I'm here." Xanthos walked over to the apartment door and gave it a hard tug. The door flung open to show three Bevelle guards with rifles pointed at the open doorway.

No one stood in the doorway that the three guards gawked at curiously at. "Where is that guy?" The man on the left flank of the middle officer queried. The guards advanced on the open door only to get blacked out by a mysterious figure from behind. He then dragged the unconscious guards down the alleyway a few doors down and left them in the dank alley to wake up hours later.

Xanthos came back through the doorway into the apartment where Rena anxiously awaited his arrival. "I have to go and deal with Seymour. You have to stay here and out of sight and don't let anyone think that you have anything to do with me." She began to oppose his remarks but was cut off short by his rebuttal. "I know you want to come with me to help but if anything ever happened to you…I don't know what I would do with my life. So please, just stay here, for me." He strode up to her and they exchanged a short but sweet kiss.

"I'll stay here and wait for you Xanthos, if that is what you want." He nodded in acceptance and strolled out of the apartment door and into the damp, desolate alley way. He tenderly closed the apartment door behind him and stepped into the alleyway while shifting into a Bevelle guard. After transforming, he waltzed out of the dank alley and onto the main road which was filled with hundreds of people. He made his way through the immense throngs of town's folk towards the grand crimson temple of Yevon resting in the heart of the city of Bevelle.

The shape shifter waltzed right through the front gates of the temple past the guards and into the massive dome like entry hall. He gazed around the entryway and noted the beefed up security with guards posted at every door and patrolling the entire chamber. 'He dose know I'm here. Wonder what he has planned for me.' He thought while striding over to the lift to take him up to where he guessed Seymour would be lurking with his puppet Baralai. The guards barring anyone's passage onto the lift stopped Xanthos as he approached them. He obliged with the guards' orders and stopped two feet in front of them.

"Halt! No one may pass, not even guards." The two lift guards shifted their guns in their arms. A creeping voice snuck into the two guards' heads. 'That is not one of you. He is someone that we have to deal with. Do not let him pass, stop him at all costs.' The two guards aimed their rifles at Xanthos as he charged and kicked the guns out of the guards' grip, down into the misty pathways below the temple. He reverted back to himself and walked onto the lift to ascend to Seymour's chamber.

Ten guards rushed down below the lift and opened fire on the shape shifter as he ascended closer and closer to Seymour and Baralai. They were too late; the lift had already gone up to high for them to get clear shots off at Xanthos. The shape shifter laughed to himself as the lift passed through the opening in the ceiling made for it pass through. At the top of the lift were seven guards, all with rifle barrels trained down at the hole made for the lift. Xanthos put his hands up to surrender but the guards weren't going to let him get off that easily. They opened fire upon him, each shot echoing through the massive hall to the Maester's chamber. He ducked and rolled forward under the trajectories of each of the seven bullets. His legs shot out along the ground towards the guards, sending them on their faces and some on their backs. Two of them shot back to their feet to shot Xanthos but he had already gotten behind\d them. His hands grasped each of the two guards' head and smashed them together with a slight thud. The two men fell limp in front of him. The rest of them guards did not get up from their falls but rather stayed down and out of the way of the powerful intruder.

Xanthos walled down a lavishly decorated corridor lined with paintings, mirrors, and a few tables with lanterns upon their glimmering wood. 'Will Seymour use Baralai on me first, or will he attack me head on? Can he still summon? If so, this should be interesting.' Many thoughts of the upcoming battle raged on through his mind. He finally came to the large oak, double doors that separated the Maester's chamber from the corridor and gave a tug on the brass door knobs. The doors flung open to the room, revealing Seymour standing in the center of it with a disturbing smile painted on his face.

"Ah, just the man I was looking for. It is a pleasure to see you again Xanthos." Seymour's soft and disturbing voice flowed into Xanthos' ears, causing him to shiver.

"How did you come slithering back into power with you're reputation?" Xanthos walked into the Maester's chamber and over to a pillar on the right side of the doorway. "And why is it that you want to see me? Is it that you want to kill me so I cannot interfere with your twisted plan? And where is your puppet, Baralai?" Xanthos leaned against the pillar with his right hand and tapped it in a threat that Seymour didn't notice.

Seymour snickered at Xanthos and answered his many questions. "I came back into power just by returning to these suffering people by restoring their hope that their sorrows can be washed away." Seymour began to chuckle with amusement at what he was going to say next. "Granted there was some brainwashing involved for the higher ups and anyone else who knew exactly who I was and what I did but that's irrelevant." The Maester continued on the answer the remainder of Xanthos' inquiries. "You're right, I do have a plan but I don't consider it twisted and I don't want you dead for it, after all you are the main ingredient. And Baralai, he's right behind you." And with that Baralai pushed Xanthos all the way into the chamber and swung the door closed with a loud crash as he followed in behind Xanthos.

Xanthos fell back on a pillar near the left wall in Seymour's chamber. Baralai still stood at the door but turned to focus on Xanthos. Seymour just cocked his head to look upon the shape shifter and smiled an eerie smile that sent shivers down Xanthos' spine. "You have extensive powers and besides that you have a god backing you, what would you need my power for?" Xanthos placed a hand on the pillar that was supporting him and drummed on it with his finger tips.

"I need you because you have the ability to change your physical form at anytime you will." Seymour strolled over to Xanthos and stopped five feet in front of him.

Xanthos stopped drumming on the pillar and gripped it tightly as if ready to morph it into something. "I see. So you're going to use me to shift into some greater power to perform whatever warped deeds you need me for?"

"Precisely." With that Seymour out stretched an arm to perform a brainwashing spell so he would be able to take control over Xanthos.

This was what Xanthos was waiting for. A vivid glow shot up around behind him as the pillar he once used as a support transformed into a long spear. "I won't let you take me without a fight!" He whipped the spear out from behind him and smashed it into Seymour's outstretched arm.

The Maester's arm being knocked away almost caused him to topple over but he maintained his balance. "Baralai, get over here and subdue him!" Seymour shouted at his puppet.

Baralai began his charge towards Xanthos but stopped as the shape shifter's spear head shot out, almost impaling the former praetor of Yevon. "What's the matter Seymour? Don't think you can take me on fully so you send your puppet in to do your dirty work, you are pathetic." A blot of lightening shot off of Seymour's fingertips which sounded off a loud clapping sound as it snapped the spear shaft in half. Xanthos cursed and threw the remaining piece of the spear shaft at the Maester of Yevon.

Baralai picked up his charge where he left off and rammed into Xanthos with his right shoulder. Xanthos stumbled backwards and almost fell through an oak table resting at the bottom of a window sill. Then the praetor of Yevon then threw an upper cut at Xanthos which he barely evaded by sliding to the side. He then roundhouse kicked Baralai in the back of his head sending him flying towards the window. Right before he fell out the window he felt his head smack against the window sill. He bounced off the sill and fell to the ground with a newly formed head ache and began to rub his head. Xanthos then ran towards Baralai, who was still trying to get rid of his head ache, and leapt into the air in a dropkick pose. Baralai took a moment from massaging his aching head to dodge out of the way of Xanthos' attack. His foot flew through the air space where Baralai's head had just been a second ago and landed on the edge of the window sill. He pushed off of the sill as his knees bent, propelling him back four feet to land right as Baralai rushed him again.

Before he charged, Baralai ripped a rapier off the wall next to the window that he had fallen into. He thrust the rapier out at Xanthos but the shape shifter easily pivoted to the side on his left foot allowing the rapier to pass right by his torso. Baralai stopped dead in his tracks and whirled around, bringing his rapier blade along with his body movement. Xanthos narrowly missed the sword stroke by ducking scarcely under the entire momentum of the swing. Baralai silently cursed as his blade once again failed to strike its intended target. Xanthos smiled at the praetor's unworthy swordsmanship skills drawing yet another strike from Baralai. He rushed up to stand only two feet away from Xanthos and brought his blade down upon his head. Xanthos couldn't evade the blow so he did the only thing that he could actually do in this situation. He clasped the rapier blade in between his two palms extracting a downward jaw from both Seymour and Baralai. He simply smiled and forced the blade back at its owner's face while also smashing his right foot into the young man's stomach. Baralai stumbled backwards from Xanthos' counter attack and then he tripped over the red and gold throw rug placed in the center of the room.

Baralai stood back upon his feet, much to the annoyance of Xanthos for he was here to deal with Seymour not Baralai. "Don't you ever give up? If you keep this up I'll have no choice but to hurt you. Seymour, where is the pleasure of defeating your opponent by your own hands if you use this puppet to fight your battles for you?" Xanthos ran up and kicked Baralai in the chin as he began to rise from the ground.

Seymour seemed amused at the inquiring of Xanthos. "Oh, don't worry. I will defeat you myself I just wanted to test out the skills of this 'puppet' as you call him to see if he will be of any use against Lady Yuna and her friends, which it seems as though he cannot compete with their strengths if even you can defeat him." Seymour's words appeared as though they affected Baralai somehow because he gave an irritated glance back at the Maester.

Baralai got back on his feet after the blow to the chin Xanthos had given him and faced Seymour. "A puppet am I? Would a puppet do this?" He charged the Maester only to receive a powerful ice blast to his chest. He flew backwards and broke through the twin oak doors and out into the lavishly decorated hallway.

Seymour broke out in a soft, mad laugh. "Yu Yevon has some work to do on that spell if it can wear off so soon or can be broken so easily."

"Shut up and die Seymour!" Xanthos picked up the rapier that Baralai was just using a moment before and bore it into Seymour's chest where his heart would usually be. Xanthos fell back when the attack failed and just drew a pleased grin from Seymour.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know me. I am an unsent so therefore you cannot harm me you pathetic mortal!" Seymour raised his hands to the sky and began to swirl around on his hips as if he was calling down god to smite Xanthos. But, instead of a god a massive dark chain shot through the roof without doing any damage to the structure as if it came through a different dimension. Then it buried itself into the floor through what appeared to be a black and purple portal to the same dimension it had come from. The chain lurched and then came to a halt. But only for a moment and then it gave another lurch and started back up as though it were fishing something out with it. The chain pulled out along with it by another chain a large demonic looking fish head with bandages running along from the middle of its head to the top and that only had one devilish eye glaring around the surroundings. As the rest of the monster was dragged out of its dimension it revealed what looked like massive plant leaves that appeared as though they could cover up the monstrosity. Its arms were bound together in an 'X' fashion across its chest with two white cloth appearing streamers. The thing stopped coming out from its dimension at the point where it looked like there was still something it didn't expose.

Xanthos gaped at the massive monstrosity in sheer bewilderment and confusion. His face was streaked with fear and it was also clear by his facial expressions that he was thing something along the lines of 'Oh shit!' Seymour laughed amused by Xanthos' reaction to his aeon. "Something wrong Xanthos? Didn't you know that I have this aeon, Anima?" Seymour trained a finger at Xanthos and shouted, "Anima! Pain!" And with that the aeon's single eye started to gather energy around it. Xanthos tried to escape the aeon's mighty blast but he couldn't move anywhere that it wouldn't reach. Anima's head recoiled as the massive amount of charged energy from her eye was launched to obliterate the resilient shape shifter.

The attack pounded Xanthos with a searing pain that not even the toughest warrior would be able to withstand without crying out in pain. He let out a terrible cry of pain that was certain to pierce through the walls of the chamber then the temple and then throughout the entire city of Bevelle. When the affects of the pain spell wore off of Xanthos he opened his eyes to see that Anima was now lingering over him. The demonic fish aeon lashed out with her gnarled fangs flashing off one another. He rolled to the side at the last second as the aeon's teeth bore down into the wooden floor planks. Anima yanked her teeth out of the shattered floor planks and charged up another pain attack.

Xanthos hastily ran behind Anima right before she let off another of those super charged pain blasts. The attack only consumed the space in front of the aeon, blasting out the windows and crushing the floor boards. Xanthos leapt up onto Anima's back and ran the rest of the way up till he reached her head. He took hold of one of Anima's fins on the top of her head while making the aeon go under a transformation. The usual light that resonated off of an object when Xanthos put it through a morph shone off of Anima. The aeon began to shrink and form in Xanthos' fist. When all the brilliant light dispersed Xanthos was shown standing there with a minute mouse being held in his right hand.

"What a cute aeon you got now Seymour." Xanthos joked with the Maester as he pitched the mouse into Seymour's hands. He stared at the mouse that was now resting in his palms and heaved it through the window where Baralai had almost flown out.

By now Seymour was feed up with Xanthos' jokes and definitely feed up with how he could have possibly defeated Baralai and Anima. 'Damn! How could he be this powerful and yet he lost to Lady Yuna and her two other friends?' He cast aside his troubling thoughts and conjured up a ball of dark energy that seemed to draw the world in around it. The orb of pure darkness continued to grow larger and larger with each passing second, pulling in more and more of the air around it. "Now to finish you off my pesky friend!" He launched the sphere of pure dark energy hurtling towards Xanthos.

Xanthos faced his palms outwards and lit up the air between him and Seymour with a pallid flame. The air between the two burst out of the ashen light to form a three foot thick tempered steel wall. The sphere of darkness smashed into the wall of tempered steel forcing its way through about two of the three feet of steel before dissipating. Xanthos collapsed the wall of steel back into air to gauge Seymour's reaction.

Seymour raised a hand as soon as the wall shriveled up out of the way of the two battlers. Xanthos leapt forward into a front roll as a lightning bolt flickered off of Seymour's fingertips and right for his head. The Maester kept the lightning bolts flowing from his hand as he turned to face Xanthos as he rolled along the ground. He stood up and did a back flip when the lightning reached a foot away from him. Seymour discontinued his lightning spell after seeing that Xanthos had the abilities to evade every attack from it. Instead of starting up another spell he just stood there casually with his eyes closed.

"What's the matter now Seymour? Finally figured that you cannot win?" Xanthos mocked the Maester's lack of ability to do any kind of damage to him.

Seymour stood there with his eyes still closed up and chuckled at something Xanthos didn't know. "I haven't given up. I just wanted to take a moment to mourn the loss of your little friend in the apartment." A small display screen appeared on the eastern wall. On the screen was a burning apartment with some Bevelle guards scurrying down the Alleyway. The same one Rena and he were in right before he left to do away with Seymour.

Xanthos collapsed to his knees and began to cry silently. He lifted up his red, tear streaked face only to yell at the Maester. "How? How did you know she was there?" He shouted through his sobs while getting upon his feet.

Seymour raised his left hand in front of his mouth and cracked a usual laugh. "We saw you enter the building with her. And then when you left to come here I sent guards over to exterminate her."

"You don't have any morals do you Seymour? She was an innocent person that had nothing to do with you or anything!" He charged Seymour and gripped a hold of the rapier that was still lodged in Seymour's chest by the hilt. He wrenched it out of the flesh of the unsent and drew it back, ready to attack. "Now you will pay!"

"Oh, you want me to pay?" Seymour queried while slipping his hand in a pocket. "Then here take all my money." He threw a multitude of bills and change at the shape shifter.

Xanthos slashed up the bills as they fluttered towards him. "Shut up!" He rushed at Seymour with the rapier poised to skewer the Maester through his head. "Money can never make up for her!" He thrust the rapier through Seymour's forehead and out the back with a sicken spray of crimson blood. Seymour fell back upon the blood soaked ground with the rapier still wedged in his skull.

The Maester rose back to his feet like a zombie. "I have already told you that you cannot kill me so why do you even try?" Xanthos gazed back in horror as Seymour began to morph into something. "Now I will show you true power!" His flesh became metallic silver and his eyes went white without any signs of pupils. An odd looking mechanical thing came to perch just hovering above his right shoulder. The thing looked as if it were a mix between a scorpion and a horseshoe crab with two large pincher things for the mouth. A massive spear popped into Seymour's right hand and a colossal sword in the other. He even began to levitate over the blood soaked rug in the center of the room to make room for him to move his spear and sword.

Xanthos gazed at Seymour's new form in wild eyed bewilderment. Seymour let out a deep demonic laugh and thrust his massive, crimson spear at the dazed shape shifter. He rolled to the side and narrowly evaded the piercing tip of the zombie inducing spear head. Seymour brought down his colossal gray sword to the spot where Xanthos had stopped his roll. Xanthos couldn't clasp the sword like all the other times because it was too big so he took the blow. The sword made a hole in the floor that was fifteen feet deep and six feet wide. He chuckled to himself with the thought that Xanthos was too weak to evade even such a slow and weak attack. His eyes shot open when he saw a sight that he thought he would never see in all eternity.

Xanthos climbed out of the immense crater in the floor and let off an arrogant smile at Seymour. "It's gonna take a lot more then simply one sword stroke to get rid of me Seymour!" Xanthos proclaimed as he rushed towards the hovering unsent.

The little scorpion/horseshoe crab thing lashed out at Xanthos as he drew closer to its master. It shot its stinger tail out at him but he hastily leapt on top of it and grasped it tightly as to not get knocked off. He tore off a small section of the scale like shell protecting the thing and altered it into a bastard sword. He bore the bastard sword down through where the thing's head should have been and wiggled it around to cause the most damage possible. The thing crashed to the wooden floor with a loud splintering sound and Xanthos leapt off its back with his bastard sword. He then turned to face Seymour who was now alone except the fact that he still had a colossal sword and a zombie inducing spear.

Seymour lashed out with his spear once again only this time Xanthos stepped to the side and brought his blade across the spear's shaft. The spear shaft split like it was made of paper into two halves that were hurled to the other side of the room. Seymour brought down his gigantic gray blade upon Xanthos. The sound of metal on metal rang out through the chamber and leaked out into the hallway and down the lift. Xanthos held his bastard sword with both hands and held off the blow by Seymour's blade. His arms were quivering under the mass amount of pressure bearing down upon them and his legs. Seymour relieved the pressure and set his sword to rest at his side. Xanthos took this opportunity to flash his sword across the Maester's torso, drawing blood along the floor. Seymour let out a demonic cry of pain as the shape shifter's bastard sword slid off of his warm flesh.

It was finally apparent to Xanthos that Seymour could not be defeated at this point and ran towards the shattered doors. Seymour noted his actions through his pain blurred vision and gripped his massive blade tightly. As Xanthos leapt through the hole in the doors where Baralai was hurled through Seymour heaved his sword through the air at him. Xanthos spun around to see the massive gray blade hurtling through the air at him. He spun back around and picked up Baralai and slung him over his right shoulder and continued to flee for his life. The sword whistled through the air as it got closer and closer to Xanthos with each passing second. Xanthos reached the lift and smashed the button down that would allow them to escape the soaring blade into the main entry chamber of the temple. The lift didn't start soon enough and the blade collided with the lift. The lift was completely smashed into nothing and fell down through the hole and into the murky mist down below the temple.

Xanthos managed to leap up and grasp hold of a ceiling rafter just as Seymour's massive sword collided with the lift. He let himself lose hold of the rafter and plummeted down through the hole in the floor. He then gripped a ledge where the lift would have usually stopped at to let people off to go to the main entrance. He lugged himself up over the edge along with the unconscious Baralai and made a dash for the front doors. The guards in the main chamber took off after the escaping intruder and into the crowded streets of Bevelle. Xanthos ducked into an alleyway to escape detection and strode down it till he realized where they were.

Xanthos dropped Baralai off his shoulder and slowly walked to the burnt out remains of an apartment. Tears flowed freely from his dark brown eyes as he strolled into the burnt apartment. He collapsed to his knees and buried his face in his hands as he changed from silent tears to full out crying. "Rena…I couldn't save you. Instead I'm the reason you're dead now." His tears fell to the ground steadily causing sizzling sounds to erupt from the still hot wood. "Can you ever forgive me?"

A gentle hand placed itself on his shoulder. He whiled around while getting to his feet and grasping a piece of wood that he transformed into a dagger. He was just about to plunge the dagger into the person's heart when the figure spoke. "I forgive you." His heart skipped a beat and the dagger fell from his now trembling hand.

"Rena." Xanthos wrapped his arms around her shoulders and began to cry again. "How did you survive?" She just smiled back at him.

"Simple." She pulled out a rather long black leather sheath. "I used this." She unsheathed a kanemitsu.(a/n: A kanemitsu is a Japanese sword from Samurai Warriors that looks exactly like a katana only about double the length and finger guard.)

"When did you learn how to wield a sword?" Xanthos queried as he eyed Rena.

She laughed. "Seven years is a long time Xanthos."

"So, how exactly did you survive the guards' attack?" Xanthos inquired.

Rena smiled at him again. "Well, I was in the other room changing into this..." She pointed to her new clothes. She wore her silky brown hair up in a pony tail still with two locks flowing down on either side of her face. A white shirt that looked like a low, 'U' cut tank top that was cut off just under her breasts but it had sleeves that ran all the way down her arms. The sleeves had an oval opening running down from her shoulders to her elbows. She now had baggy brown pants on that were lashed to her waist with a cloth belt a few inches under her bellybutton. The pants also had oval shaped openings that ran down the side of her thighs. "…because I was going to come and help you since I cannot fight well in what I had on when the guards busted into my apartment and started it on fire. I rushed out of the other room with my kanemitsu and chased them. They turned back around to see me still alive and charging them no less so they pulled out swords and we dueled. I defeated them rather easily but let them leave with their lives. Then I came back here to find you sitting here and crying." She took Xanthos into her arms and locked lips with him.

Xanthos pulled away from her kiss a few seconds later to say something. "Rena. I love you."

She let a smile overtake her face that made Xanthos fall even deeper in love with her. "I love you too Xanthos." And with that they locked lips with each other once again and shared an immensely extensive passionate kiss that furthered their love for each other.


	10. Assult on Djose

Chapter 10: Assault on Djose

**Eriks leadinglady**: I just want to apologize for the extended delay on this chapter. I had some massive writer's block and couldn't go on at all…it took me a few hours just to type a single page! Also since your my only reviewer now I didn't have much motivation either. Well during that lapse of writer's block I did make my time useful and started writing another fic "Ripped and Torn" it's a FFX fic, and don't worry I'm still gonna write this one. Anyway, I'm glad u think I fit the characters well, that's what I try to do and I'm glad it's working. Here's chapter ten for you after it's much delayed time!

Rikku awoke with a start at a loud rapping on the thick metal door separating her room from the hallway. "Who is it?" She called through the door.

The door slid open with a swoosh to reveal a familiar Al Bhed boy standing in the doorway. "Hey Cid's gi…I mean Rikku." Gippal corrected himself to make sure he didn't upset her.

Rikku shot out of her bed that she had slept in and up to stand in front of Gippal. "Hiya Gip!" She exclaimed. "When did you get back?"

"Oh, I got back about an hour ago and find out that you, Yuna, and Dr. P are here. I wanted to come and see you as soon as I found out, but you were still sleeping." Gippal replied.

"Gippal."

"Yeah?" A look of confusion spreading across his face.

She looked him in the eye. "Are you trying to avoid me?" She inquired drawing an even more confused look from the Al Bhed boy.

"What are you talking about Rikku? I'm here now. So why would you think that I'm trying to avoid you?" She lowered her gaze sheepishly to the floor. "What's the matter Rikku?"

Her gaze shot back up at Gippal. "We came here just so that I could see you again and then you weren't even here. Are you afraid of me Gippal?" His jaw dropped at the suddenness of the odd question.

"Jeez! You could have called or something to see if I was here in the first place! After all, if you wanted to see me so much why wouldn't you make sure I was here?" He complained causing Rikku to sob.

"And there you go again, being a big jerk!" She shouted through her silent sobs.

"I'm not being a jerk! I just want to know why you're getting upset when you could have just called before you came to see if I was here or not." He put a firm hand on Rikku's right shoulder.

She gazed into his eye with her dual green swirling eyes. "I don't know why I didn't call. I just wanted you to be there for me." She threw her arms around his waist and buried her head into his chest.

A knock came at the door causing the two Al Bhed to spin around to look at the door. "Is everything alright? I heard you two yelling." Yuna's friendly voice cut through the door with heavy concern.

"Yeah." Rikku and Gippal said in unison.

"Okay. I'll just leave you two alone." Yuna's footsteps scurried away from the door and then stopped as if she had looked back to the door but quickly picked back up.

A serene feeling washed over Gippal as he looked down into Rikku's jade swirl eyes. "Rikku…I'm not afraid of you and I will always be here for you." Rikku broke into tears, which Gippal could feel through his shirt as she squeezed him tight.

The couple stayed in each other's grip for a while until there came another rapping on the door. "Rikku, Gippal, we just got a transmission form Baralai." Yuna called through the door. "He says Seymour is back in Bevelle." Rikku shot out of Gippal's arms and ran over to the door. She swung the door open and stood before her cousin.

"What? How did he come back into power?" Rikku shouted at her cousin.

"Apparently the people of Bevelle still regard him as a Maester and have no idea of his true nature. It seems that he made up an alibi that he was just gone for the past three years on a break from being Maester and then brainwashed them into believing him." Yuna said.

"Is he still on the line?" Gippal strode forth to stand next to Rikku.

"Yeah."

"Well then, what are we waiting for? The three of them went out of the room and headed for the communications room.

When they arrived there they saw Paine already waiting for them. As they filled in next to her and around the screen they flipped the connection back on. Baralai flashed up on the screen as soon as it was flicked on. He was in an alleyway that from the looks of it was in a far worse part of Bevelle than he was used to being in. It was a mess. Garbage everywhere, trash cans flipped, dented, overflowing with trash. The windows for the buildings that lined the alley were all either smashed or boarded up. "Hey, you're back." Baralai sounded over the transmission.

"What's up Baralai?" Rikku queried in her usually upbeat voice.

"You are already aware that Seymour has returned to Bevelle, right?" Hi friends nodded. "Well, he brainwashed the people and all the higher ups, including me, in to believing whatever he wanted us to believe. Anyway, after a while a strange man come into the temple and charged up to where Seymour and I waited. The man fought Seymour and I and won. Seymour got pissed and went all out and I barely made it out but the man picked me up and carried me out." He informed everyone.

"Who was this man you keep talking about?" Yuna asked the question that was obviously going through everyone's mind.

"Um…his name was…hold on." Baralai goes off screen for a moment and then returns with the man. Yuna's, Rikku's and Paine's eyes widen in terror as Xanthos walked in the company of Baralai.

"What are you doing with him?" Rikku shouted at Baralai. He stared blankly at the screen with his friends on it and then glanced to Xanthos.

"Xanthos, what are you planning on doing?" Paine glared at the shape shifter.

He started to laugh but contained himself. "Oh, so you're not thankful that I saved your friend. I am not your enemy anymore. My only enemies are Seymour, Yu Yevon and any other scum ball that is tied with them."

"What are you doing in Bevelle? We thought you were killed back in that place." Rikku pawed at the air in her usual energetic fashion.

"No, I did not die in that godforsaken place. I came here to get a little relaxation when I found out that that disturbing man, Seymour, had come slithering back into power. As you must know from our previous meetings I couldn't let him get away with that after being in league with Yu Yevon. So I did the only thing I could do, I went to kill him. When I got there I found your friend, brainwashed, and fought him off. Then I confronted Seymour and kicked his ass but he cannot be destroyed…He forced me to retreat by throwing his massive blade after me. Baralai was unconscious and in the way of the sword so I picked him up, because he doesn't deserve to die, and escaped." Xanthos went on explaining what had exactly transpired.

"Xanthos! We've got company!" A female voice called to him from out of frame.

"Hang on." Baralai said, slipping the flip screen into his pocket. He Xanthos and Rena ran to a door and flung it open as a platoon of Bevelle guards marched down the alleyway. They surveyed the alley and didn't find anything out of the ordinary and soon left. The three of them exited the building and came back into the alleyway, Baralai whipping the communicator out. "Sorry about that. Too many guards wandering around now a days."

"Who's that?" Yuna inquired scanning over the brown haired girl that joined up with Xanthos and Baralai when the guards came.

"Oh, that's Rena." Xanthos introduced her to Yuna and her friends. "We go way back, but now onto the matter at hand."

"And what would that be?"

"I have found out that they, the Bevelle guards, have found out that the Machine Fraction has created a machina that is indestructible. Is that true Gippal?" He nodded 'yes'. "They will pounce on your position and take control of the machina by force. You must defend the machina or else they will control it to take over Spira." Xanthos walked over to Baralai. "We will come immediately. They'll probably come soon so you will need our aid."

"Right! I will form up my men and prepare them for battle!" Gippal shouted. Then he turned towards the door and ran out at full speed.

"We should get ready too." Paine stated shutting off the communicator. "Rikku. Go help Gippal round up the Al Bhed workers."

"On it!" Rikku ran towards the door but came to a screeching halt right before she broke through the door. "Yunie, where's Tidus at?"

"He's still out cold." Yuna's voice was saddened by the thought of the condition he was in.

"It's alright Yunie." Rikku pattered her cousin on the back. "He'll wake up sooner or later." She then left her to go aid Gippal in rallying the Al Bhed.

After a short while Rikku and Gippal mustered the workers of the former temple to form the defenses. Machina gun emplacements were planted on either side of the main entrance and set up near the bridge, the one path leading to the temple. The Al Bhed workers hid behind the multitudes of boulders and any other things they could find, guns resting in their arms. Some riflemen hid on top of the temple to pick off any officers they could spot as well as any other enemy they could shoot. The main gate to the temple was barred shut with reinforced steel bars bolted to it. Behind the gate stood a few rows of riflemen followed by swordsmen but in front of the AL Bhed rested a bunch of machina that were going to be used as shields and weapons.

After most of the day passed and the sun began to plummet from the sky the sound of numerous boots marched in unison upon the long bridge to the past temple. The Al Bhed grew nervous and started to waver from their posts, but a few higher ups make them hold their positions firm. The dark silhouettes of a cluster of Bevelle soldiers made its way onto the horizon. The Al Bhed calmly awaited their enemies to get within range of their weapons. The Bevelle regiment came to an abrupt halt right as the first booted foot fell upon the sandy area just over the bridge. A silent alarm was risen at the first booted foot on their territory and the mounted guns popped out of nowhere and unloaded on their enemies.

The hidden Al Bhed flew out of their hiding spots after the first turret opened fire and unloaded clip after clip at the Bevelle soldiers. The guns finally came to a blaring halt. Everyone stared at the smoke that now enveloped the entire regiment of Bevelle soldiers. The smoke gradually decreased. Out from the dust protruded a line of navy blue and mauve shields, each protecting the front line of where each soldier stood. The defenders' jaws all dropped in horror at the sight of their enemies surviving their unrelenting bombardment of bullets. The soldiers smiled, evilly, before picking back up to their regular marching pace, heading towards the temple and its defenders.

The Al Bhed defenders opened up another merciless shower of bullets at the oncoming invaders. Their shields made easy work of the bullets, refracting them back all over the entire battlefield. Some of the bullets were deflected back at its owner, killing them with their own ammo. Some of the Al Bhed fled away into the surrounding hills, the ones that stayed got slaughtered without the enemy even touching them.

After the regiment wiped out the Al Bhed defenders, they marched their way up to the main gate of the temple. A group of five of them rammed the door with their shoulders but could not budge the sturdy steel door. A cloaked figure emerged from the heart of the brigade, stepping in front of the door. He raised a single cloaked arm and fired a ball of massive flames into the door, melting it on impact. He waved a hand, commanding his troops to move into the temple. The company flooded into the temple's main chamber to meet their next opponents head on.

The row of machina guarding the other Al Bhed pounced upon the Bevelle soldiers as soon as they stepped inside. The shields were torn asunder by the machinas' heavy machine guns and piercing weapons. The first rank of solders, shield wielders, were completely ripped asunder by the machina, leaving the second rank, sword wielders, to deal with the machina threat. They smashed into the ranks of the machina, swords boring deep cuts into thick and thin armor plated machina alike. The machina carcasses fell to the ground in furry of sparks and random explosions.

The Bevelle swordsmen charged past the flaming and sparking wreckage of the machina, but where pinned down by a volley of bullets. Some of the swordsmen pushed forward still using fallen comrades as shields. The ones that reached the ranks of Al Bhed riflemen tore apart the line until they were brought down by either a bullet or a sword from the swordsmen behind the rifles. Soon the entire Al Bhed rifle ranks were smashed by the overwhelming odds brought by the Bevelle soldiers. The Al Bhed swordsmen charged back at the solders and clashed blades casting the familiar metal on metal sound throughout the temple.

The Al Bhed ranks were being pressed back by the devastating force of Bevelle until three friends leapt into the fray. Paine hurtled into the battle, her sword glancing off many a soldiers' flesh. Yuna opened fire from the top of the stairs leading to the cloister of trials down into the ranks of soldiers. She dropped about ten Bevelle soldiers before they broke through the ranks protecting the stairs. A yellow blur flipped onto the flight of stairs as the soldiers were just about to cut Yuna down. The yellow blur pulled a 360 sending the first few opponents off the stairs with rather large gashes in their flesh. Then the blur continued on to do a cartwheel down the stairs, blades slicing up the enemies along its descent. Rikku pulled a front flip at the bottom of the stairs and shot a thumbs up back at her cousin. Yuna smiled and whipped up a pistol to shot down an enemy just as he was about to bring his blade down on Rikku.

Paine took up the front assault on the Bevelle soldiers with a small trail of Al Bhed swordsmen following her closely. Her blade locked with an enemy's blade and they fought out a deadlock for the next blow. Paine easily overtook the puny swordsman's strength and forced her blade through his chest. She slid her blade out of the body with a horizontal slash to the right which also severed another swordsman in half. A soldier charged Paine when she had her back turned to fend off another attack and brought his sword upon her spine. She felt something press against her back violently and whiled around to see one of the Al Bhed in a deadlock with the soldier's blade.

The Bevelle soldier kicked the Al Bhed in his stomach, sending him to his hands and knees gasping for air. The soldier poised his blade above the incapacitated Al Bhed's head ready to bring it down to execute his prisoner. His sword plummeted through the air towards the AL Bhed's neck but Paine shot her skull blade below the sword. The sound of the two swords clanging together echoed through the chaos filled room over all other noise. Paine punched the soldier in his face while they were staring down each other. He fell back and much to his dismay was impaled on Paine's custom blade. His body slid off the end of her blade, leaving a streak of crimson blood along the length of the blade followed by a puddle on the ground. The Al Bhed thanked Paine with a nod but was cut down by a massive, jagged blade bursting through his stomach. Paine stared upon the figure that had just cut down the Al Bhed she had saved and saw the cloaked man that had broke down the main door.

By this point in the battle Yuna had changed into her dark knight dresssphere seeing her gunner sphere useless for close up fighting, which was all the fighting within the temple walls. She formed a purple, black and gold circle beneath her and spun her blade around overhead. The circle gave off golden flashed of energy all around it. She then stopped her sword in mid spiral and brought it down as to slash someone. The circle around her feet spread out in a destructive wave of pure dark energy that extended about ten feet around her. All the Bevelle soldiers in the blast radius, maybe three or four, were utterly vaporized right before everyone's eyes.

Rikku was still bouncing around in her thief dresssphere, cutting down any enemies that came along her path. She fought her way around the chamber easily but then her gaze came upon Paine fighting the cloaked man. Her eyes shot wide open in horror as the cloaked man smashed Paine in the side with the flat side of his jagged blade. The blow cast her across the room, crashing into countless Bevelle soldiers and Al Bhed alike until she collided with a statue of one of the former high summoners. The statue crashed down upon her with an immense force that splashed up dust in all directions.

Rikku cried out for her friend but it was no use she was completely trampled by the statue. She ran over to the statue in a blind rage of anger and sorrow, slitting the throats of countless soldiers. She arrived at the scene of the statue tumble to see no signs of Paine anywhere. She collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down from her jade eyes, down her cheeks and finally descending off her chin. "Paine…no…" She sobbed, getting back to her feet. "I will make him pay!" She whispered, a flame of anger burning in her jade, swirling eyes. She rushed over to where the cloaked man stood observing her.

Yuna turned to see Rikku sprint towards the cloaked man. Yuna had to hastily shift her focus to a group of soldiers about to pounce on her. She whipped around her spiky sword in an effort to drive them back, but it was futile. The soldiers plunged upon her with their blades thrust out in front of them. She barely evaded the first soldier's blow as another came from the side, brushing against her skin. A third blow came down at her head. She dodged it to the left but was cut off by yet another sword stroke, catching her in the thigh.

She let out a small cry of pain as she went into an all out attack. She took her blade and rammed it through the first soldier's shoulder. He fell to the ground in a wailing pain that pierced the very chaos in the temple chamber. The second soldier suffered a blow to the side of the head with the flat side of her blade conveying him into the third. The fourth one, the one that slit her thigh, came in from behind her as she finished up with the second one. She pivoted on her heel and brought her sword around at neck height. The soldiers head came clean off and was flung across the room, knocking into another soldier allowing an Al Bhed to slay him.

Rikku leapt into the air, only a few feet away from the cloaked man, and went into a wild spin. The cloaked man stuck his jagged blade out in the path of Rikku's spin. She smashed into the sword and came to an abrupt halt. Vibrations ran up through her daggers, into her arms, and then to her entire body as she fell to the ground from the force of the blow dealt by the cloaked man. He poised his blade in the air directly above where Rikku shook, desperately trying to overcome the tremors. He brought his jagged blade down upon her but as he did she regained control over her body and rolled out of way to the right.

The cloaked man's sword buried itself into the ground with the sheer momentum, but only for a single moment. Rikku leapt into a roundhouse kick as the man withdrew his blade from the ground. Her foot connected with his head. He did a little spin on his heels as he fell to the ground. The hood of the cloak came off to reveal who this man really was. He had a bunch of scars spread across his face with two deep brown eyes set in the midst of all the scars. His mid length brown hair was now all matted and knotted from being in a cloak hood for a long time and due to the battle. 'Yu Yevon!' Rikku thought as the man was revealed. The smiled evilly, and began to laugh manically.

"Surprised to see me Rikku?" He looked into her eyes which were now trembling with fear as well as hatred. "Now you have shown me your weakness." He rose back upon his feet. "Your fear will destroy you!" He lunged at her with his massive, jagged blade thrust out. She barely eluded the blade as it caused a paper cut like slit to open up on her stomach. Although the cut wasn't deep enough to do anything she doubled over in pain with a look of confusion, fear, and anger mixed into one expression.

Yu Yevon laughed even more at Rikku's reaction to his attack. "Even the slightest touch from my blade is deadly. It has all my power focused into it at the moment and can do as much as if it sunk deep into your flesh with just the slightest touch." He laughed.

Rikku could feel something flowing through her body from the point at which the blade came in contact with her skin. It flooded her veins and surged into every inch of her body causing it to go numb. She could feel the mysterious feeling flow up into her brain. Her vision wavered and her hearing became muffled. She became dizzy and stumbled around like she was drunk. Breathing became hard as the feeling completely overtook her body in its painful manner. She coughed up some blood and fell to her knees. She couldn't feel anything, it had all gone numb. She moved her lips but nothing would come out of her paralyzed mouth. With her last ounces of strength she mouthed Gippal's name before she collapsed flat on the floor.

Yuna saw her cousin succumb to what appeared to be a poison and rushed over to her aid. Before she could reach her cousin she was jostled to the ground by a group of four soldiers. She tried to ward them off but they pinned her sword arm to the ground with their booted feet and did the same to the rest of her appendages. The soldier that pinned her sword arm to the ground poised his word just resting above her neck. He pressed it firmly against her neck, drawing a few trickles of crimson blood from within.

Just as he was about to push his blade through her neck a strange blur flashed across the ceiling of the chamber and landed behind the soldiers. It simply spun around while moving towards the soldiers, casting them aside. It bent down over Yuna and gazed into her bi-colored eyes. "Miss me?" A familiarly friendly voice came out of the blur's mouth. Yuna closed her eyes tight and then opened them back up with haste to gaze upon the man.

"Oh, Tidus…" She threw her arms around the blonde haired blitz ace, almost dragging him down on top of her.

"Now that you're safe we gotta go help Rikku." Tidus took off to where the blonde Al Bhed girl lay in constant numbness. Yuna quickly pulled herself up onto her own feet and chased after Tidus.

Yu Yevon turned to the two that were charging towards him. Tidus opened up the attack with a slash that he brought around over head while also heading into a 360. Yu Yevon parried the blow to the side, his massive jagged sword driving Tidus' into the ground. Yu Yevon brought his blade down upon Tidus' blade, now stuck into the floor tiles. Tidus barely got the blade lose and out of the way as Yu Yevon brought his sword down upon it. Tidus saw an opening in the god's defenses as he went to take hi blade back up and thrust his sword at his side. The god took the blow to the side a staggered backwards from the strike. He then lashed out with his left hand and gripped Tidus by the neck and threw him against the wall.

Yuna leapt into the air, blade facing down, at Yu Yevon's back as he whirled back around after tossing Tidus. Her blade sunk into his flesh causing him to let out a shrill shriek of pain, but only for a split second. He gripped the blade of Yuna's sword and yanked it out of his flesh, Yuna still grasping tight to the hilt. He lifted his arm carrying Yuna and her blade into the air right above him. Then he brought his muscular arm down towards the ground, dragging Yuna, her blade and the air alike towards the tiles. Yuna flipped onto her feet but the momentum of the movement done by Yu Yevon snapped her balance. Her face smashed into the floor tiles and her sword was wrenched from her grasp.

Tidus charged back to Yu Yevon in an attempt to catch him off guard, but rather than being caught he twirled around and brought his blade, along with Yuna's into Tidus' sides. He gasped for air before Yu Yevon released the pressure done by the swords allowing Tidus to collapse to the ground. Rikku slid her left eye open ever so slightly but enough to see Tidus laying on the ground about to be cut up. She focused all her remaining strength into her right arm and felt around in a pouch lashed to her waist. She felt the object she was looking for with feeling barely lingering in her fingers long enough for her to pull it out. She stretched out her arm along the floor and rolled the oval shaped object across the floor over her head.

Yu Yevon glanced down at his feet to see a grenade roll up and touch his big toe. He instinctually kicked the grenade away from him but it was too late. It went off just as he made contact with it, kicking up dust and fire into the god's face. He fell backwards out of the smoke prison with pieces of razor sharp metal lodged into his face. He flicked his eyes open, shards of pointed metal protruding out from them. He waved a hand in front of his face and cast a healing spell upon it. The metal shards disappeared into thin air and the blood streams down his face dissipated.

He rammed his two swords into the ground giving him leverage to lift himself to his feet. One glance over at Rikku stunned her breath causing her to grope fro air. He kept staring into her eyes, which were now held open by an unseen force, keeping her from drawing a single breath. Yuna tackled Yu Yevon, breaking his stare on Rikku, releasing her of his spell. He shook her off his side as the tumbled to the ground, sending her sailing through the air until she struck Tidus, who had just now stood up. The two tumbled a few feet along the ground until they came into contact with a pile of dead bodies.

Yu Yevon let out a bellowing laugh that sounded through the entire temple, shaking it to its foundations. The god began to stride forward but came to an abrupt halt when something sharp pierced through his spine and burst out his chest. He gagged on his own blood as the blade was removed from his flesh. He staggered forward before turning around to see the identity of his attacker. His eyes followed the wall as he spun around until they came upon a brown haired woman with a large katana like sword resting in a defensive position. Next to the woman stood a platinum haired man with dual katanas poised for an attack.

"I guess you weren't expecting us Yu Yevon." Xanthos strode forward nearing the enraged god. "Look at the face of evil Rena, it's so flustered." He joked causing Rena to laugh.

"Shut up!" The god roared while taking his two blades and whipping them around over his head and bringing them back down at Xanthos and Rena. They both dodged the swords by simply doing a back flip in unison. Xanthos saw an opportunity to attack Yu Yevon and took it. He plunged his dual katanas into the god's side while ducking under another massive swing by barely a centimeter. Yu Yevon dropped Yuna's sword to the ground, a clamoring metal stabilizing on tile sounded throughout the chamber. He then went on to try to grasp Xanthos in a strong grip but Xanthos had other plans. He removed one of his katanas from the god's side and slashed his palm wide open. Yu Yevon fell back, Xanthos ripping his other katana out of the god's flesh, coating the floor behind the god in crimson blood.

"Rena, now!" She charged Yu Yevon with her kanemitsu dragging after her, scraping up sparks from the ground. She leapt up with her blade whipping around to bring it down in a downward stab. Her blade sunk deep into Yu Yevon's flesh and stopped on what would have been his pelvis. She landed on the ground in front of the god and smiled an eerie smile as she ripped her blade up through his flesh and out the top of his head. She set the tip of her blade down upon the now blood stained floor tiles and shoved a strong foot into the god's chest. His two halved from the waist up flipped out wildly from one another as he tumbled to the ground.

"Finally…it's over." Xanthos slid his dual katanas back into their respective sheaths. "I have finally taken my revenge on that sick and twisted man for destroying our home." He walked over to stand beside Rena as she slipped her kanemitsu back into its sheath.

Xanthos inspected the battlefield. None remained alive except for Tidus, Yuna, and Rikku who was slipping more and more into death. He strolled over to her and flipped her over onto her back and held her head up in his right hand. His left hand found its way into a pouch lashed to his leg and produced a vial. He popped the top and forced the liquid down Rikku's throat. She felt the feeling come flooding back into her body and her vision returned as she flashed open her jade eyes. She gazed up at Xanthos with an admiring look painted on her face. He simply returned her gaze but with stern eyes.

He lay her head gently back on the ground and stood up to go walk over to where Yuna and Tidus were crunched up in a ball against a pile of dead bodies. He glanced over the couple and saw no severe damage done to them.

By this point Rikku had mustered enough strength to stand and stumble around the carnage. A twang of pain shot through her heart as she glanced over a toppled statue that she remembered as the one that crushed Paine. She searched once more around the fallen statue for her friend but she was no where to be found. A low moan erupted from behind the fallen statue. Rikku looked back behind the statue to find Paine laying face down on the floor tiles. "Paine…Paine! You're alive!" Paine made no other noises then moans as Rikku dragged her from behind the crumbled statue into the center of the chamber to help heal her wounds.


	11. True Emotions

Chapter 11: True Emotions

A/N: I'm really, really sorry for not updating in like two months but I haven't had any ideas and I've been working on my other fic. Anyway, I hope your still gonna read this if I continue updating it. Here's chapter 11 for you guys after its two month delay.

Rikku was now concocting some sort of potion to heal Paine's wounds. She finally succeeded in making up a batch of a highly potent healing potion made out of random items she had acquired in adventures past. Once she was completely done mixing the potion, she elevated Paine's head with her right arm while her left hand slowly poured the healing fluid into the unconscious Paine's mouth. After the liquid had disappeared down the warrior's throat, Rikku backed off and waited for the potion to take affect.

Not soon after Rikku moved away, Paine began to moan softly and the coughed several times. Rikku rushed back over to her friend's side. "Paine? Paine, are you with me?" The blonde Al Bhed's jade eyes focused on her friend's unopened crimson eyes.

Paine's crimson colored eyes slid open in a very leisurely pace. "Yeah, unfortunately." The warrior joked.

"Hey! That's not funny Paine! I was really worried about you and here you are saying that you'd rather not be alive! You big meanie!" Rikku shouted at Paine.

"Calm down Rikku. I was only kidding." The Al Bhed girl looked at her friend oddly but could only smile.

"Glad to hear it Paine! Can you get up yet?" Paine made an attempt to rise to her feet but collapsed back to the cold, hard ground as an excruciating pain shot through her legs.

"Apparently not." Paine made light of the situation.

"I'll help you with that Paine." Baralai called to her upon entering the temple.

"When did you get here?" Rikku asked, running up to greet him.

"I got here with Xanthos and Rena but I hung back and waited for the battle to be over." Baralai sauntered over to where Paine lay. "So, how you holding up?" He queried to the warrior.

"I'm fine except for the little fact that I can't stand up." Baralai laughed.

"That's all?" He smiled down at her. "Just be thankful that's all that you can't do."

"He does have a point Paine. You could have been more seriously injured." Rikku stated.

"Thank Yevon that we have our own little apothecary here to fix something up for me then." Paine joked, even though she meant every word except the 'thank Yevon' part.

Rikku blushed a bit. "It's nothing. Just a little thing we Al Bhed do." Paine and Baralai smiled at the blonde haired Al Bhed, their smiles contagious.

"Here, I'll help you up." Baralai took an outstretched hand from Paine into his own. He lifter her up onto her feeble feet and then rested her right arm around the back of his neck, on his shoulders. "There, now I'm your personal crutch." He said, a lighthearted smile creeping onto his lips.

"I think I'm gonna go and see how Yunie and Tidus are doing." Rikku turned away from Paine and Baralai and headed over to where Yuna and Tidus now were chatting amongst themselves.

"If you need us we will be in one of the guest rooms in this place." Baralai said right before Rikku went out of earshot. Paine hobbled along with Baralai towards a door that led to one of the rooms where they could be alone.

Rikku approached Yuna and Tidus without them realizing it for they were too lost in one another to notice any of their surroundings. "Hey you two!" The blonde Al Bhed girl broke the two out of one another's concentration.

"Hey Rikku! Long time no see." Tidus greeted his old Al Bhed friend.

"Are you guys okay? You took a pretty bad spill back there when he tossed you into each other." Rikku asked, inspecting the two for any injuries with a once over glance.

"Yeah, Rikku." Yuna said leaning on Tidus for support as she stood. "Is everyone else okay?" She inquired gazing around at the mass carnage.

"Well…" The young Al Bhed glanced around the room, finally noting the intense carnage. "All of us are still alive but…they weren't so lucky. It looks like almost all of them were killed…" She looked back at her cousin with a sad look in her eye.

Yuna walked over to her Al Bhed cousin and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Rikku. This is almost as bad as what happened three years ago at operation Mi'ihen, and it's all because of Yevon." The former summoner seemed to get a little angry at the thought of how Yevon had twisted people's minds. "We _will_ get him back for all that he has done Rikku." She smiled at her cousin and gave her a comforting hug.

"Thanks, Yuna. We will get him back, won't we?" Her cousin nodded her head in reassurance. "All we need to do is find out where he is hiding a go get him!" Rikku leapt into the air a bit and whipped out her twin orange daggers and whirled them around on her fingers.

"And now that I'm back I can help you guys!" Tidus declared from behind the two cousins causing them to turn to him and smile happily.

"I'll call up Brother and get him to come pick us up." Rikku proclaimed as she ran off into another room where a communication system was setup since her wrist communicator was smashed during the fight with Yu Yevon. A few moments later she came bounding out of the communication room with a pleased smile on her face and went up to her cousin and Tidus. "He said he'll come here as fast as he can, but I won't say what else he said, you already know what he said."

Yuna and Rikku laughed to themselves a bit, Tidus staring at the two cousins with a questioning look upon his face. "Oh, you remember Rikku's brother, the guy with the overalls and the tattoo on his chest from three years ago, the pilot of the airship uncle Cid was captain of?" Yuna asked to the dumbfounded blitz ace.

"Yeah, I remember that guy!" He exclaimed. "He's the one that wanted me to protect Rikku and couldn't speak too well. So, what about him?" He looked back at the two cousins, who laughed a bit at his question.

"Well… he has a major crush on Yunie." Rikku told Tidus, who now had a surprised look on his face. "He keeps following Yunie everywhere and always wants to protect her, even if it means risking his life. If it wasn't my brother I would say it's sweet, but he's just an idiotic groupie." The blonde blitz ace seemed to be relieved after he heard the entire story.

"Oh, okay." Tidus said as he let Rikku's explanation sink in. "Who's that?" He pointed toward a spiky, blonde haired Al Bhed with an eye patch over one eye coming down the stairs that had once lead to the cloister of trials.

"Gippal!" Rikku shouted as she ran to the one eyed Al Bhed and threw her arms around him. "When I thought I was going to die… all I could think about was you." She whispered into his ear as they stood in a hugging embrace.

"Rikku…" Gippal whispered pushing her away from him to gaze into her twin jade swirl eyes. "I saw you on the ground and I wanted to help you but even with all my confidence I still muster enough courage to come out a protect you." He closed his single eye and hung his head down in shame.

He felt her hand on his chin and felt it move his chin up so that he was looking directly into her eyes, even though his eye was still shut. "It's okay Gip. I'm fine now and I don't know if you could have helped me anyway, and even if you could have done something I don't want you to risk your life just for me." He opened his one eye slowly and saw her jade swirled eyes gazing lovingly at him.

"But…" He was silenced by her index finger pressed softly against his lips. She closed her jade eyes and moved her lips closer to his which he responded by doing the same. They locked in a long passionate kiss that drew the attention of just about everyone in the temple chamber.

"Wow, looks like Rikku grew up a lot in three years…" Tidus looked away from the Al Bhed couple and gazed at Yuna.

"Yeah, but she's still the same Rikku, mostly. Energetic, happy, always a bounce in her step, but she has grown into more of an adult since then." Yuna gazed into Tidus' blue eyes as he did the same for her green and blue eyes. They moved closer to each other, but a load hovering noise broke their concentration on each other.

Through the doors burst a hyper active Brother that was franticly glancing around the room before finally setting eyes on Yuna. "Yuna! Are you alright?" He came to a sudden halt as he noticed the multitudes of corpses, both Al Bhed and Yevon soldiers alike. "What happened here?" He queried, eyeing his surroundings in awe.

"Yu Yevon came back with a platoon of Bevelle soldiers." Paine elaborated as she walked over with Baralai to where Yuna, Tidus and Brother were standing. "He came to apparently kill us and take out the Al Bhed all in one shot. But, he and his army were stopped by those two over there." She pointed to Xanthos and Rena sitting off in a corner together.

"Hey! Sorry to interrupt but we're receiving a communication signal from Dona at Kilika." Buddy came through the main entrance to the temple. "She wants to speak with you, Yuna." She looked at him and then nodded.

"Right." She looked about her at all her friends. "Come on everyone. We have to get going." Tidus, Paine and Baralai followed after Yuna as she walked on out the door and toward the Celsius that hovered over the open area outside the temple. Brother hastily followed the three after the former summoner, Buddy walking with his as he passed the Al Bhed coordinator. Xanthos and Rena got up from where they sat with each other and walked after the others, their sword bouncing at his sides and on her back. Rikku and Gippal had finally released each other form their kiss and found that their friends were gone, not having paid any attention to what was going on.

"Hey, where'd they go?" Rikku exclaimed looking around the chamber franticly. "Yunie! What's going on?" She shouted across the chamber to her cousin who had just appeared in the doorway to see if the Al Bhed couple was coming.

"Brother and Buddy are here with the Celsius and we just got a radio signal from Dona on Kilika. We're all going onboard to see what she wants." The brunet summoner smiled at the couple and rushed out of the view of the two blonde Al Bhed.

"C'mon Gip!" Rikku grabbed the machine fraction leader's hand and dragged him outside of the temple with her to the Celsius. As soon as the two blonde Al Bhed were on the airship and in the bridge Buddy opened up the transmission and they listened to what Dona had to say to Yuna.

"Yuna, I'm sorry that we have to speak under these circumstances but something is in the forest surrounding the temple and occasionally comes out to attack the village." The long, black haired former summoner reported the situation on Kilika.

"Wha-what? What is it that is doing this?" Yuna queried to the other former summoner.

"I'm not sure, but it appears to be some sort of fiend. Everyone that has seen it has either died or has only seen it in a shadowy form." Dona explained about the menace assailing Kilika.

"Sounds like a job for the Gullwings!" Rikku proclaimed from the back of the group, next to Gippal. "We'll help right guys?" She glanced around at her friends and all of them seemed okay with the idea and nodded to the perky, blonde Al Bhed.

"Right! Then let's get going and save Kilika!" Tidus exclaimed from his spot at the front of the group, next to Yuna.

"Don't underestimate this fiend." Dona spoke with a hint of concern in her voice that no one had had ever heard from her before. "This doesn't seem like any normal fiend. It's almost as if it is being given its powers from some higher force. None of the warriors on this island can do anything to it, unlike all the other fiends that we have encountered here before." Just as she stopped talking a man ran in a shouted to her.

"Lady Dona! The fiend is attacking!" The man looked very startled and fearful. "We must get you to a safe place!" Just as he finished a bright radiance beamed through the window placed in the back of the hut. A massive explosion sounded through the communication link causing everyone aboard the Celsius to cover their ears. When they looked back up at the screen the hut was totaled and the screen began to blur with static as it began to fade to black.

"Oh my gosh! Dona, and the other villagers…" Rikku cried out at the screen.

"We'll be there in a half an hour. You guys should be getting ready for the battle ahead." Buddy said trying to get everyone's attention off of what happened to Kilika. "There are some extra weapons for any of you that need some more weapons in the cargo bay. You all can get some extra items from Barkeep down in the cabin."

Rikku and Gippal headed down to the cargo bay where they looked over some of the weapons that were stored there. Paine and Baralai went out on the deck of the airship and gazed into the bright azure sky. Yuna and Tidus went down to the cabin to gather up some items and also talk about the past three years and also just to be together with each other after they had been apart for three years. Xanthos and Rena sat together down in the engine room, just enjoying each other's company as they headed toward Kilika.

"What about this one, Rikku?" Gippal pulled out a double sided sword out of the weapons rack and twirled it in his hands.

The jade eyed Al Bhed girl gazed at Gippal with affectionate eyes before answering. "Gippal…" The blonde, one eyed Al Bhed man turned to the concerned Rikku.

"Yeah, what is it Rikku?"

She gazed down at the ground and put her arms across at her lower back and scuffed her right shoe on the metal planking of the floor. "I… I don't think you should come and help us out on this one…" Her voice was so soft that Gippal could barely hear her, let alone understand what she said.

"What?" His eye went wide as he gawked at Rikku as she continued to not look at him and scuff the floor with her shoe. "What are you talking about?"

"I just don't want anything to happen to you. That's all." She sustained her low voice and didn't look up to the blonde machine fraction leader.

Gippal eyed her with a puzzled look pained on his face. "But I want to go. I want to go to protect you." Her gaze was still planed on the floor instead of his face. "Look at me Rikku, and tell me why you don't want me to go." He moved his hand over under her chin, but before he could place his hand on her chin to lift her head up she gently waved it away.

"I just don't want you to get hurt!" She cried to him as her head shot up to look into Gippal's single eye. "You aren't used to fighting fiends and stuff like I am. I was Yunie's guardian three years ago and then we defeated Vegnagun and Shuyin a year ago, but you haven't done anything remotely similar to any of that." She kept her twin jade swirl eyes focused upon his single eye.

"Rikku…" He advanced on her and placed his arms around her. "I'll be okay, I think I can handle myself, besides remember back on Bikanel against Issark?" She looked up into his eye, small tears streaked down her face as she nodded in his chest. "I held my own against Him and his aeons. So I think I can at least help you guys out against some pathetic little fiend. After all, you will be there to protect me and I'll be there to protect you. So what do you say? Let me come along with you and protect you, okay?" The young Al Bhed did nothing but let her breath beat upon his chest.

"Okay Gippal, but if there's any sign of trouble you get out of there. You understand me?" She glanced up into his lone eye with a stern face.

"Yeah… no problem Rikku." He hugged tightly. "I will get out of there if there is any danger to my life, but I will protect you no matter what." He pushed her away from his tenderly. "So, what do you think of this one?" He whipped out two axes and twirled them around in his fingers. Rikku couldn't do anything but smile back at Gippal as he smiled at her, still twirling the twin axes in between his fingers.



"So that is what has gone on since I left you three years ago." Tidus said, looking Yuna in her bi-colored eyes as she nodded to his statement. "Now that I'm back we can finally be together." Yuna smiled at the blonde, former blitz ace which he returned with an adoring smile and placed his left arm around her.

"Tidus…" They both gazed deeply into each others eyes. "I'm so glad that you're finally back." With that she threw her arms around his neck and held her head up against his chest, her breath tickling his bare chest.

He rubbed her back gingerly with his right hand, as they sat in each others arms on one of the beds on the upper deck of the cabin. "I am too…" He whispered into her left ear, it twitching as his lips moved away.

"Tidus, I wish we could be like this forever…" She held him even more tightly than she had before.

"We can Yuna, we can." As he spoke she pushed herself away from him softly.

"But…but I don't know how this whole thing is going to turn out." She expressed her concern for the events surrounding them. "What if…" She was silenced by Tidus' index finger being pressed against her lips tenderly.

"Don't say that Yuna." Tidus put both his hands on her shoulders. "We are going to make it through this, together. Just like we did three years ago when we defeated Sin, once and for all, ending that silly tradition of sacrificing summoners." He moved his lips in close to her face and kissed her delicately on the cheek causing her to blush, just a bit.

"You're right Tidus. We will make it through this, together…" She slowly threw her arms around him once again and gave him a tight squeeze, which he countered by squeezing back, but gentler, and ruffling her honey brown hair.



"Paine," Baralai shifted his gaze from the darkening, never ending horizon to the warrior, "I want to know what you think of me." She looked up at him with a very confused and startled look upon her face.

"Wha- what? What do you mean?" She stammered, still giving him a look of bewilderment and shock upon her face.

"It's just that ever since the Crimson Squad was disbanded I could never stop thinking about you." He gazed deeply into her crimson colored eyes. "I just never expressed how I felt before, and now I want to know how you feel about me after all this time. I just can't keep my feelings inside anymore. No matter what the outcome!" He proclaimed, awaiting her answer patently.

"Well…" She began to speak but then had to stop to think about how to say it to him. "… well, it's complicated and… umm…" Baralai's face showed some disappointment but continued to ask for her answer.

"Paine, just say how you really feel. No matter what your answer I won't hate you and it's okay to express how you really feel. You don't have to be ashamed of your feelings." Baralai placed a hand on her shoulder which she didn't try to wave off.

"Well…" Paine started but then took a moment to ponder exactly how she wanted to say this. "I… I have actually always felt something for you." She paused a moment to think of what she wanted to say next. "I didn't know exactly what it was when I first met you but now I have come to realize that it must be love. I never really thought much of it till after what happened a year ago, but ever since then I've been thinking on what that feeling was." Baralai placed both his hands on her shoulders and stared into her crimson eyes.

The dark clouds above the two suddenly opened up and rain began to trickle down through the cooling air. The rain sounded off the metal deck of the Celsius in a southing pinging noise. "It's raining, let's go back inside." Baralai stood up and extended his hand to Paine, who was still sitting down upon the metallic deck. She took his hand and let him lift her up off the growing colder deck and walked with him onto the elevator and then down into the airship.



"Oh, it's raining!" Rena exclaimed as the sound of rain beating down on metal began to resonate above her and Xanthos. She gazed at the man with her turquoise eyes but he did not return the glance, he only stared off into space. "Xanthos, is something the matter? You look preoccupied." Her soft voice broke him out of his trance like state.

"It's… it's nothing. I'm just thinking." He said calmly, still not looking at her.

"What are you thinking about?" She placed her right hand on his left hand that rested upon his leg. Feeling her hand on his made him look at her with his deep brown eyes. "Does it have something to do with this fiend on Kilika?" He looked at her for a brief moment before jolting his head away from her stare.

"This is not just any mere fiend. It has a connection with Seymour and, or Yu Yevon. They are just trying to get us to go there so they can continue on with their plan, whatever it may be." The shape shifter stood up and strode over to the wall and placed his right arm on it above his head and leaned upon his.

"Whatever their plan may be we will not let them go on with it!" Rena proclaimed, getting up and strolling over to where Xanthos leaned against the metallic wall in the engine room.

"I don't know if it will be that easy to just stop them. They are masters of deception and never show their real purpose till the very end, when they have either succeeded in their plans or have failed." He pushed off the wall and turned to face Rena, his eyes quivering with uncertainty. "I don't think we have the power to stop them this time." His voice got low as he admitted to his fears.

Rena stepped closer and closer to Xanthos before she finally put her arms around the shape shifter. "We have each other. We can do anything. Besides, if just the two of us aren't enough to stop them we have all of our new friends that can back us up." Her voice held an utmost confidence in them and their new friends.

"Their plan involves something with me in it. With my power they could do just about anything if they ever gained control over my body. They have brain control powers so that may just be exactly what they are planning to do." He pushed her away from his body and gazed into her wide turquoise eyes. "If they take control of me then there will be no ends to the destruction that they could inflict." Rena's eyes still shone with hope and confidence.

"But, you said that you defeated Seymour by yourself and we defeated Yu Yevon together. So why can't we defeat them both at the same time with the help of the others on board?" She was still not convinced that there was no way to overcome the evil duo.

"Correction, I couldn't defeat Seymour because for some reason he has become immortal. Nothing that I did to him had any affect in the way of killing him. Yu Yevon is a god, even though he is one that failed, he is still very powerful and cannot be defeated by any conventional ways." Xanthos saw the shine in Rena's eyes somewhat lessen and he hung his head in hung his head in sadness. "I know it hurts, but it's the truth Rena." She turned her head to look away from him for a second.

"We can still beat them Xanthos! It isn't hopeless, no matter how much you think it is! You just have to believe in yourself, other people, and me!" She pushed herself against him and put her arms slowly around his shoulders, resting her head on his chest.

"Maybe you're right Rena, but…" He looked down at her; she looked up at him and smiled.

"Of course I'm right! All you have to do is believe!" She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his and kissed him. He slowly but surely placed his arms around her and returned the kiss. Just as they ended their kiss and pushed away from each other, gazing into one another's eyes a crackle came over the intercom.

"We're nearing Kilika everyone. Get ready and meet in to cargo bay so we can let you off as soon as we get there." Buddy announced over the static filled intercom. Xanthos turned from Rena and began to walk toward the elevator leading to the cargo bay. He left her hand grasp his and give it a little loving squeeze which caused him to look at her. She smiled and just continued to walk toward the elevator, dragging him along besides the fact that he stopped in his tracks when he glanced over at her.



The sight of Kilika was a horrifying sight; it was worse off than when Sin destroyed half the port town three years before, and the pouring rain didn't help. There were almost no buildings standing and the docks were, for the most part, completely demolished, not even the fragments were left. The waters weren't tarnished too much with debris; it was like everything was just incinerated, not just blown apart by an intense blast. A blitzball casually floated up to the group of eight and came to a halt on the steps leading down to the water surface on one of the only sections of dock that was still standing. Tidus went over to the blitzball, Yuna following him closely, and plucked it from the crystal waters of Kilika. He felt it as he hauled it up out of the untainted water and realized that only half of it was there, the other half had been dematerialized. The rest of the group gazed over to where the blitz ace and former summoner stood and gawked at the half of a blitzball in wonder and fear.

"Wow…" Rikku uttered out of her state of shock as she continued to gawk at the half of a blitzball before she began to survey her surroundings once more, flicking a soaked lock of blonde hair out of her left jade eye. "This fiend is really powerful if it can wipe out all of Kilika in just that one blast we saw…" Her voice had an evident edge of fear drifting on it.

"That means…" Yuna trailed of and looked down at her feet as Tidus came over and put his arm around her shoulders to try to comfort her. "… all the villagers are gone, and Dona, too." A tear leaked out of the corner of each of her bi-colored eyes and streaked her face down to her chin. The tears were evident even though it had been pouring on them ever since they landed here, on Kilika.

"Yuna, we will get back at these guys for all they have done, here and everywhere else." Tidus placed both of his hands on her slender shoulders and gazed into her moist eyes. He turned from her after about three seconds of gazing and drew out calborg, the blue, jagged blade with golden lightning etched on the blade. "Let's find this fiend and kill it!" He exclaimed as a deep bellow echoed through what used to be the Kilika docks.

"Wha-what was that?" Rikku stuttered, getting closer and closer to Gippal's side, and looked out over the Kilika forest, the origin of the unfamiliar roar.

Birds flocked out from the canopies of the green tress within the depths of the forest around the temple as the rain continued to pour down. The tress began to convulse viciously as the entire group stood and watched as some of them began to topple over at the sound of another deep throated bellow. "It looks like something is coming out of the forest." Rena pointed to a spot in the tress where some of them were completely gone and a dark form began to rise out of the clearing it had created.

A bolt of thunder flashed across the dark and dreary sky causing Rikku to cower a little bit and also reflecting light off of the fiend's massive claws that had just now cleared the treetops. A sudden gust of wind took the group for surprise as the colossal, shadowed fiend spread two gigantic wings into the gray, raining sky. Its two yellow, menacing eyes suddenly flashed open to inspect the area around it for anything out of the ordinary. Its demonic yellow eyes with crimson slit pupils scanned over the landscape till it located the group standing upon the one remaining dock. Its immense jaws crept slowly open, revealing massive yellow teeth tainted with some red substance that appeared to be blood, saliva dripping from fang to fang.

A tremor shook the ground violently as the fiend launched itself into the air, revealing a dragon like body. It batted its enormous wings in the rain filled sky sending rain plummeting to the ground with such force it bore holes into the marshy soil at the edge of the forest. The sound its wings gave off as it beat the sky with them sounded like a giant's footfalls on the ground, only they were above the group of friends instead of in front. The group all drew their weapons as the dark dragon came closer and closer with each passing second. It seemed like the dragon could clear the expanse of where the docks used to be with one magnificent flap of its sinister wings.

Baralai was the first to attempt to attack the dragon fiend by extending the pole he wielded all the way up to the dragon's neck as it just got to about one hundred feet away from them. His reinforced pole merely bounced off the black dragon's tough scales and fell to the side, almost causing the former praetor of Yevon to lose his balance and fall into the lucid water below. Before his pole set him off balance he made it retract to his size and shifted his footing to prevent him from falling toward where his pole had extended. He glared up at the dragon, who had now positioned itself right above the group of eight, beating its wings down upon them. The wind rushing from the dragon fiend's wings flattened the entire group to the dock and pinned them there until it passed over them. They all stood up hastily after they regained control over their bodies and gazed off after the dragon as it rounded back to make another fearful pass.

This time Yuna readied one of her dual pistols on the black dragon's right eye, holding the pistol steadily in both hands. The former high summoner squeezed the trigger with her right index finger sending the gun recoiling back up over her head from the high velocity of a quarter pound shot. A tail of smoke followed the bullet a little while out of the barrel of the smoking gun as it made its way toward its intended mark. The bullet found its target perfectly and stuck right into the crimson center of the fiend's slit like pupil. To Yuna's distress the god inspired dragon didn't seem to have been affected by one of its two eyes being shot out. Instead of wailing in pain, the dragon dove down toward Braska's daughter, deep purple flames curled around its fangs as lightning streaked across the sky, the saliva glistening in that light.

Out of the dragon's saliva drenched jaws shot a plume of dark purple flames, bombing the dock the eight companions were on. Everyone scattered as the flames drew closer to them and leapt off the wooden planks and into the water. The flames slammed against the wooden planks of the dock and incinerated them upon impact and continued on to the water's surface. The flames touched the top of the water, washing over the hiding companions harmlessly just as they hoped. After the amethyst flames dissipated, the eight friends swam to the surface to get some oxygen into their lungs. They broke the surface and each of them took in a long breath of clean air and opened their eyes after the water ran off.

The dragon fiend swooped in down close to the water, dipping its tarnished white claws into the cool water. Rikku pointed to one of the dragon's clawed hands as it ran past them in the water and began to swim for it. Her friends followed suit hastily and soon they all latched onto the black dragon's clawed appendage. They began to ascend to the arm without the dragon so much as noticing them creping over its hard scaled limb. The wind rushing over them as they climbed up the limb felt like they were being pressed against it with the force of a stampeding elephant. Everyone had a hard time gripping the smooth, slippery scales and occasionally one of them would lose their gripping and be hanging by only one hand until one of the others helped them to grip something.

Once upon the massive black dragon's scaly back they noticed a change in wind pressure as it was reduced to almost nothing and they didn't have the risk of being blown off its back. They scanned the surface of the fiend's back but only saw scales, wings and its long, graceful neck leading up to its colossal skull. Paine drew out her skull sword and attempted to drive it into the scales along the dragon fiend's back. The blade stuck the though, dark scales and merely reflected off and almost went flying out of the warrior's hands. Seeing the only way to hurt the beast was to stab it in the eye or its mouth the group continued up the fiend's back until something stopped them.

Over the sides of the black dragon's back crept a multitude of fiends ranging from small, agile lizard like fiends to chimeras. Flying fiends of all types began to ascend into the air into the companions' view from the same place as the other fiends. Everyone drew out their weapons and prepared for battle against the horde of fiends that had just now appeared in front of them. Neither the fiends nor the friends moved until Yuna took up one of her pistols and trained it on a lightweight bird fiend. She squeezed the trigger and let fly a supper heated bullet that drove itself into the bird fiend's skull after zipping through the air. The fiend fell to the ground and bounced up a foot before it burst into the harmonious pyreflies everyone was used to. After the former high summoner's act, all the fiends let out various roars and cries, each having their own distinct howl, and charged at the battle ready group.

Rikku charged at a chimera with her twin orange and yellow daggers kept close to her side. She leapt into the air and much to her dismay the chimera's snake tail caught her attack and shot a bolt of lighting at the soaring AL Bhed. The bolt flashed into the blonde girl's stomach and sent her sailing back through the air about teen feet back to where her friends stood ready to fight. She shot back up onto her feet and rubbed her stomach at little bit before she took off back at the chimera. This time she faked out the snake tail and got in right underneath the fiend's other three heads. She thrust each of her dual daggers into the lower jaw of two out of the chimera's four heads causing them to each cry out in incredible pain. She then wrenched her daggers out of the two skulls as they went limp and plunged them into the chimera's chest. It let out a terrible cry of anguish and the blonde Al Bhed ripped her daggers out of its chest after dragging them to the left and right, causing even more damage and pain then a normal in and out attack would have inflicted. The fiend crashed to the ground, crimson blood seeping out of the twin massive gashes in its chest before it burst into pyreflies.

Xanthos took up his two katanas just as a bladed tail came down at him from the hindquarters of a spider like fiend. He pushed the tail out from in-between the X formed by his dual katana blades put together, severing the bladed portion of the tail clean off the beast. It shrank back in pain as the shape shifter strode toward it, his katanas raised above his head and ready to plunge into the flesh of the fiend. He jabbed his katana blades down at the midsection of the fiend but it recovered from its recoils of pain and leapt to the side, out of the way of Xanthos' attack. His blades bounced off the hard scales of the dragon's back as the fiend leapt on top of him. He kicked the fiend off of his body and to the side and brought down his right arm as he rolled toward where he knocked it off. His katana plunged into the fiend's supple underbelly causing it to scream out in pain and burst into multicolored pyreflies within seconds.

Paine charged up toward a hard scaled fiend with demonic yellow, glaring eyes and fangs dripping with saliva. The fiend lashed out at the warrior as she neared it but she easily evaded its gnashing teeth and ran around behind it. She thrust her skull blade at the fiend's spine but it whipped its tail at her, knocking her blade out of her hands and skidding along the scales a few feet. The fiend whirled around and attempted to sink its fangs into Paine's left leg but she rolled out of the way allowing the fiend to smack its head on the tough dragon scales. As the fiend recovered from its collision Paine ran over to where her blade had been knocked away and gripped the hilt tightly. She pivoted on her heels to find the fiend charging at her, its moth wide open and ready to devour her. She shoved the blade down the rough hide fiend's throat causing it to cough up blood and then finally keel over and burst into pyreflies.

Tidus rushed along the back of the black dragon, three agile lizard like fiends tailing him on either side. He swerved to the side and impaled one of the fiends in the gut with calborg and tossed it off the side of the dragon as he continued to run. One of the lizard like fiends to his left leapt onto the blonde blitz ace's back, pushing him to the ground on his face. He stood back up hastily, feeling no weight upon his back, only to have another of the fiends jump and latch itself onto his torso, knocking calborg out of his hands. He wrestled with the fiend a few seconds before he heaved it off of himself, before it could sting him with its poisonous stinger. He smacked his right fist into the fiends head, knocking it out and then went to retrieve his gold and blue sword, the remaining lizard like fiends guarding it.

He ran up to the fiends but instead of attacking head on he leapt over the skirmish line they had created and landed with one foot on calborg's hilt. He lifted his foot of the golden hilt and then shot his foot back down on it which flipped it up into the air and into his right hand. The four remaining fiends leapt at him but one by one fell to the blitz ace's mighty legendary blade. The four fiend's bodies collapsed around him and soon burst into pyreflies, creating a huge cloud of the multicolored objects around him.

Rena encountered three of the purple furred yeti like fiends with their four muscular arms and fists set in a fighting position. She pricked one of her delicate fingers on the tip of her kanemitsu, a small bubble of blood forming on her fingertip as soon as she removed it from the blade. She then continued on to run her bleeding fingertip along the entire length of the blade on her kanemitsu causing it to give off a pale deep purple radiance. She raised the glowing blade over her head as the three purple furred fiends charged in at her, their footsteps sounding like those of a stampeding T-rex. Rena slowly lowered her arm as the fiends drew closer, a thin wave of the same pale purple launching off the blade as she did so. The fiends stopped to gaze in horror as the beam collided with them, dematerializing them instantly. She smiled at the attention she drew from both the fiends and from her friends as she looked around at her surroundings.

Gippal ran over to where Rikku was encircled by five gray and black scaled basilisks, all poised for attack. He rushed past one drawing its attention causing it to turn to look at him only to have its neck get caught by the Al Bhed's axe he wielded in his left hand. The fiend was torn away from its position behind Rikku so fast it left an afterimage of the basilisk having its neck snapped in half. Gippal came to a halt to remove his deceased baggage from the end of the axe he held in his left hand. The basilisk crashed to the ground with a light thud, its entire body limp, especially its shattered neck. It burst into pyreflies as the blonde, one eyed Al Bhed hurried back over to where Rikku had managed to kill off two more of the basilisk leaving only two alive.

Yuna dove out of the way of a seed like cannonball fired from one of the large plant bulb fiends in front of her. The former high summoner recovered from her dive into a front flip and then into a kneeling position where she trained the barrels of both of her pistols on the plant fiend. She squeezed off a bullet just as the plant fiend launched another of the seed cannonballs toward her. The brunet followed the path of the front roll she had just done before firing her pistols but instead of a front roll she preformed a small cartwheel to elude the seed cannonball hurtling toward her. The plant fiend let out a small, shrill cry, somehow, and began to wilt as pyreflies began to leak out of the bullet hole Yuna had just put into its side. She stood up and flicked her long ponytail off her slender right shoulder and back to where it belonged, down the center of her back. Braska's daughter gazed around to find any of her friends, but instead of finding them she found a massive behemoth staring her down with glowering yellow and black eyes and dripping fangs.

Baralai shot out his extending pole to stop a coyote like fiend from leaping up onto Paine's back and tearing out the back of her neck with its razor sharp fangs. She whirled around just as she cut down an agile lizard fiend to see the coyote impaled on the former praetor of Yevon's rod, bursting into pyreflies only seconds after she saw it. He smiled to her and she returned his smile with a significantly smaller one as a coeurl leapt upon the warriors back, knocking her face first onto the ground. Baralai rushed over and clobbered the coeurl in the back of the skull right before it sank its jagged into Paine's skull. He shot out a hand to the downed warrior and hauled her up off the ground and twirled around his pole and set it into battle stance with it folded under his right arm and running horizontal across his back.

The coeurl turned to face its assailant and let out a mighty roar to try to intimidate Baralai or maybe just as an angered call. The two tail like whiskers began to rise up and over the sides of the fiend's head, the tips of these whiskers sparking with electricity. The coeurl unleashed the electric energy that it had just stored up in the tips of its whiskers at Baralai. The whiskers flipped forward like a catapult being fired and sent a current of deadly electricity toward the ex-praetor. He dodged the lighting strikes as they flew at him at top notch speeds and sent out his extending pole to smack the fiend in the lower jaw. The coeurl let out a roar of pain as its lower jaw had now become mere fragments of what it used to be. Paine charged up and, with one mighty swing of her skull blade, decapitated the injured coeurl, ending its misery and its annoyance to her and Baralai.

Rikku cut down a crimson and yellow giant wasp fiend with a simple flick of her wrist, sending one of her red and orange daggers into the fiend's thorax. After the wasp fiend had plummeted to the ground and burst into pyreflies, the blonde AL Bhed whirled around to see her cousin in a stone cold stare from a massive behemoth. "Yunie! I'm coming!" With that she tore off across the expanse of scales that separated her from her cousin, cutting down any meager fiends that crossed her rocketing path. She dove through the air, tackling Yuna out of the way of a colossal clawed paw that shook the dragon's back as it connected with the scales. The dragon let out an annoyed hiss and veered to the right, almost sending everything and everyone off the side, into the chilled water below.

"Yuna!" Tidus hollered across the dragon's back as he ran to where Rikku and Yuna sat on the ground in front of the behemoth, trying to regain their composures. He reached the two cousins and checked up on Yuna before he turned toward the immense behemoth and held out calborg in challenging manner. The colossal behemoth let out a deep throated bellow signaling that he accepted the blitz ace's challenge and raised itself onto its hind legs. Tidus gazed up at the gigantic behemoth, a faint smile spreading across his lips slowly.

Tidus charged toward the upward behemoth and ran to one of its back legs, but as he neared the limb the fiend crashed its other two appendages back down onto the dragon's back. The shockwaves from the collisions cast the blitz ace off his agile feet and onto his back, his vision slightly blurred for a moment. He shot back up onto his feet as a clawed paw came crashing down towards him and hastily went into a front roll to elude the earthshaking stomp. He was once again jostled from his feet as he ended his front roll and ended up laying face down on a gargantuan off white claw. He quickly got up, once more, and began to climb the leg up to get upon the fiend's back where it wouldn't be able to get him as easily. He made it up onto the behemoth's back in a matter of seconds but only to be tossed off when it reared back.

The behemoth spun around to see its prey laying on the ground, not moving, and decided to stamp him out of existence. It raised a grand clawed paw and pulled it back to gain more momentum but out of no where something caught its neck. A katana got lodged into the behemoth's neck, right at the jugular vain, and was spurting out crimson colored blood out all over the place. The fiend began to gag and choke on its own blood and lowered its paw without crushing Tidus into dust to give itself some stability. The behemoth then reared back upon its back two lets and let out a gargled bellow into the raining sky before it tumbled over backwards, shaking everything as it made contact with the ground. The sky began to lighten up as six flaming meteors began top plummet down upon the dragon and everyone and everything upon it.

"Quick! Everyone get behind me!" Xanthos shouted to all the combaters scatted across the back of the dragon. Gippal ran over and helped Tidus get up off the ground, Rikku following close by to the one eyed Al Bhed. Yuna hurried over to the wounded blitz ace as soon as Gippal had brought him to where everyone else was gathering, behind Xanthos. The shape shifter took out a small object and placed it on the black scales of the dragon's back and pushed a tiny button on the side. A large canopy of blue and white shot up over the group of eight as the flaming meteors drew closer and closer to them. Finally the meteors stuck the shield and also the dragon causing it to cry out in anguish and become too injured to fly.

As the dragon's flight pattern abruptly changed from smooth to sporadic and to a descent everyone held onto each other in couples. The dragon came crashing down out of the sky right over the Kilika forest. The trees splintered under the sheer weight of the massive beast and the momentum it held sending wood splinters sailing through the air all over. The fiend finally came to a sliding halt casting off all of its passengers as it came to its complete halt. Everyone landed in a different spot, from trees to bushes, to where Xanthos had landed, the center of the first landing on the long stairs ascending to the temple.

Rena wearily sat up and rubbed the confusion and blurriness out of her eyes and glanced around to find Xanthos. He lay motionless at the moment in the center of the landing of the stone stairs leading up to the Kilika temple. A strange fog blocked the view of the stairs up to the temple but out of that fog she could make out two figures. As first she didn't know who they were but then it dawned on her as they came out of the fog. Seymour and Yu Yevon. The two strode over to where Xanthos lay, still motionless and stood over him for a moment. Rena tried to get up but she was too late to stop what the two villains had planned for a bright jade radiance beamed from the two and Xanthos. She froze in her tracks, about ten feet from her love and the two enemies and cried out, "Xanthos!"

A/N: Once again i'm sorry for the delay and if u hate me for it i understand.I hope you still continue reading this, that is if i continue to post it which i'm sure i will, sometime. Anyway, hope you liked the chap and untill next time, take care all!


End file.
